Staying Afloat
by Whoneedsasword
Summary: The task of keeping a Club up and running with more than half the members in prison is not an easy one. Add to that managing a business and maintaining families, and you've got yourself a shit storm. Chibs and Opie are all too well aware of this, but they will do it because they have to. They owe their brothers that much. This is the story of the brothers left on the outside.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello dear readers! Soooo...here is my new story! This story will focus on the fourteen month stretch between season 3 and 4. The focus will be Opie and Chibs and what life was like for them during that time. This is a follow up in the same universe as Da, but will have a much broader focus. It is not necessary to read that one first, but I wouldn't complain if you wanted to will shift between Opie, Chibs, Kerrianne, Fiona, Lila, and possibly some other characters like Kozik as well. And fair warning, updates might be slow going on this one, at least for awhile. School starts soon, and I will have a class full of children to educate, therefore less time to write. I am thinking once per week, but that may change.**

**Thanks for taking the time to read this, and PLEASE let me know what you think! I am definitely open to feedback. Thanks again, and I hope that you enjoy!**

"I don't know you. I want the blonde man; the one with the blue eyes. He can fix the transmission. He's the one who always fixes my car. Go get him," the aged woman stubbornly insisted, tucking her golden dyed locks behind her ear, blowing out her cigarette smoke in an impatient huff.

Opie sighed heavily. It didn't seem to matter how many times he told the senile old bat that Jax was not here to fix her car and he wouldn't be back any time soon. She just didn't seem to want to hear that Jax wasn't around. Opie could relate. His best friend had been inside for just over a week now, and Opie missed the asshole. Not as much as Edna Vaughn did, apparently, but still. The old woman continued to stare at him from behind her giant sunglasses, waiting for something he just couldn't deliver. Or could he?

"You want a blonde man? With blue eyes?" he asked, somewhat impressed by his own stroke of genius. "Tell you what; wait right here, and I will go get you one."

He smiled tightly and headed back through the garage, towards the office, making a stop at the picnic table where a blonde haired, blue eyed man lounged easily, beer in hand. "Kozik, you've got a customer."

"I do?" the man asked, startled. He hadn't been around long enough to have customers looking for him, so this was a surprise.

"Yeah, she asked for the one with the blonde hair and blue eyes, and you are the closest thing we've got right now. She needs her transmission rebuilt. It's good money, and we need it," Opie explained.

Kozik nodded, not minding the work. Besides, if she was one of Jax's regular girls, maybe this would work out well for him. He stood and stretched, finishing the last swig of his beer as he did. "Is she at least hot?"

"Yeah, she's smoking," Opie told him with a completely straight face. "Go handle it, and then lock the gate. We're done for today."

He watched the man scamper off like a puppy, and finally cracked a smile, shaking his head at the other man's dumb luck. He looked around the shop, pleased to see that there was not a soul out here. It was nearing 8:00, and they had some things to attend to inside. He had ignored the cars that still waited to be serviced and sent the mechanics home a bit early. They had all been working insane overtime lately to make up for the lack of able bodies, and they deserved a night off. Besides, Opie knew that they could make up the work tomorrow.

Opie wiped his hands down and stripped his dirty TM shirt off before heading to the office to dump his paperwork. He was surprised to see that the office was already occupied. Chibs was at the desk, leaned back in the chair, feet on the desk, and telephone to his ear. He looked remarkably tired, but that was nothing outside the norm for the Scotsman as of late. He and Chibs both had been running themselves ragged trying to get everything in order and establish a new routine for how things would be with the guys inside. Chibs took notice of him and continued to softly speak into the phone. Opie tried not to listen in as Chibs ended the phone call.

"I love you too, I'll call you tomorrow. Stay safe," Chibs spoke softly, and then Opie heard the click of the phone before Chibs turned to him. "Hey Op. Things shut down out there?"

"Yeah, Kozik is dealing with a blue hair and then we're set," Opie replied, helping himself to one of Chibs's cigarettes and sitting down. "That Fi and Kerrianne?"

"Aye," Chibs replied simply. He didn't offer up many details, and Opie considered, not for the first time, just how tough things must be for his friend.

"They doing okay?" Op asked. He knew that Chibs worried about 'his girls' more than he worried about anything else in the world.

"I don't know, Op," Chibs replied with a heavy sigh. "Things are still kind of insane over there. Kerrianne is having issues with some kids at school and asks me every single day when I am coming back. Fi doesn't sleep because she is still worried that Jimmy is coming for her. She also asks me every single say when I am coming back. They are both having a rough time of it, and there isn't a damned thing I can do about it."

"You didn't tell Fi about Jimmy?" Opie asked, truly surprised.

"Not exactly something you say over the phone, brother," Chibs said, lighting his own cigarette. "I wanted to tell her face to face."

"Yeah, I get it," Opie agreed. "You miss them pretty bad, huh?"

Chibs didn't answer with words, just a nod. He didn't need words, and Opie could understand perfectly. He had been locked up for five years while his kids were growing up and had missed them each and every day. Hell, he was out of prison, and he still missed his kids each and every day but that was a different issue all together. He knew what his brother was dealing with. "A couple more weeks. Once we get things settled here, you can go and see them."

"Yeah?" Chibs asked, his brow raised skeptically, as if he almost couldn't believe that he might be allowed to escape Charming for a while.

"Yeah. Things should be stable here by then. We will hire somebody to work in the office since Gemma can't be here. We have four new Prospects coming in, and some Nomads too, so Club numbers will be strong enough. There's no reason for you to be here," Opie said firmly. "Besides, we will need somebody to work with the Irish from that end to settle the gun business. Might as well be you."

"You're serious," Chibs said, still a disbelieving tone to his voice.

"Why not?" Opie asked, knowing that his friend needed this. "Go spend a few weeks with your family. Get to know your kid. Come clean with your wife. You've got a second chance with your family. Don't waste it like I did."

He hadn't intended for this conversation to become so serious, so quickly, but Opie knew that he was right about this. When he got out of prison, he had a chance to change and to live his life with Donna and his kids. He had wasted that chance, and now it was too late. Donna was gone, killed because of him, and he would never get a chance to make up for all the shit he had done wrong. His kids were still around, but he felt farther away from them than ever before. The life he had planned was gone. He would marry Lila and she would raise their kids, but he knew, even she knew, that it wasn't supposed to be this way. Opie would do whatever it took to make sure his brother took better advantage of the second chance he had been given.

Chibs was still kind of looking like he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. "I think they would like that," he spoke up. "I think I would like that. Like I said, they have been asking when I'll come visit, so I doubt that they would mind having to do a bit of business while I'm here."

That made Opie smile, "Well next time they ask, you can tell them," he replied. "Speaking of telling people things, did you happen to mention to Fiona that we are about to go confront a room full of women that you have fucked?"

The question was rhetorical, but the look on Chibs face still made Opie laugh. The crow eaters and hang arounds were all gathered inside the Club house, just waiting for them. Opie was definitely off the market, and to his surprise, Chibs had been brushing off each and every woman who so much as looked at him. Pop liked to look, but Kozik was the only one left who liked to touch. With most of the guys either on the inside or not partaking, the women were growing restless and bored, even starting fights and creating drama that they just didn't need right now. It was better that this situation was dealt with now rather than later.

"Jesus Christ," Chibs muttered. "Don't even joke."

Opie laughed; a real, genuine laugh. "Come on. Let's get this done and start drinking."

The two men put out their smokes and headed towards the Clubhouse, where they met a somewhat disgruntled Kozik. Opie and Chibs ignored his protests and headed inside. The place was packed full of scantily clad women and Prospects. The air hung heavy with cigarette smoke and hairspray. Somewhere in the corner, a speaker blasted CCR, but all it took was one nod from Opie and one of the Prospects went and cut it off. Leaning against the bar, Opie took his cue to speak.

"Alright, we asked you guys here for a reason tonight, and it wasn't to party," he said, ignoring the groans from some. "As you all know, most of the guys are on the inside and will be for a while. There are about thirty of you here, and there are four of us. Even if we were looking for company, those odds aren't good. What I am really saying is that we won't be needing your services for a while," he gave them a moment to allow that to settle in before he continued, "For those of you who are interested, there are other charters who would welcome you. For those of you who want to stay in town, that is fine. If you are in Charming, you are still protected, and you can still serve the Club, just not how you usually do. We have six guys sitting in prison cells right now, and most of them don't have Old Ladies. They would probably love some visitors and some care packages. If you are interested in that, see Gemma tomorrow and she will figure something out. If you are looking for another charter, talk to Piney. The rest of you…just go home."

He finished talking and turned to grab a beer from behind the bar, handing one to Chibs as well. The music cranked back on, but the party atmosphere was gone. After his little speech, some of the women had stormed out in tears, while some of them gathered in small groups to discuss what had just been said. He could practically smell the anger in the room. A few women were gathered near Pops, and Kozik already had three women glued to him. Some of the more brazen ones were eyes Chibs up and down, completely oblivious to his disinterest. Opie knew that he would have to make this speech again at some point. Everybody around here knew that he was with Lila, and that still didn't stop some of them from trying. He doubted that they would go easy on Chibs.

Chuckie pulled a couple more beers for them, and Opie pulled Chibs into the chapel. It was pretty much the only space in the entire building that he knew for sure they wouldn't be glared at or hit on. They weren't yet done for the evening. Both Piney and Kozik followed them in after a few moments, arms full of liqour.

"I suppose you thought you were going to leave me with that shit storm out there, while you hid in here," Piney said, sinking into a chair and pulling a joint out of his pocket. "I say to hell with that. Let the Prospects handle it."

"You think many of them will stick around Charming?" Kozik asked, a desperate look in his eye. The idea of the Clubhouse without Crow eaters was not a very appealing one for him.

"Some of them will," Opie answered with a shrug. "Some of them have been here for long enough and have kids and jobs in town. They will hang around. The rest will go to other charters. Don't worry, Kozik. Just get their numbers, and I'm sure they will be accommodating. You're dick won't be dry for long."

They all had a laugh at Kozik's expense, while the blonde man gave them the finger. He was playing it cool, but Opie could tell that Kozik had been more concerned about the lack of available pussy than he let on. Once the laughter had died down, Opie spoke up again.

"Pop, you and Kozik have the garage tomorrow," Opie said, getting business out of the way before anybody was too drunk or high to comprehend. "Chibs and I are riding out to Stockton early tomorrow," Chibs groan was ignored, "and we are meeting with LeRoy on the way back. Things have been smooth with the Niners and we want to keep it that way. The garage shouldn't be too busy tomorrow, and besides you two, we have six guys on. Just make sure you finish the shit that didn't get done today."

"What should we do with the invoices?" Kozik asked, which was a very valid question. "Shit in that office has been piling up without Gemma."

"A week without her is one thing, but we're looking at more than a week," Piney spoke up, taking a deep drag and then exhaling slowly before continuing. "We're going to need to hire somebody to fill those shoes."

"Like that's possible," Chibs muttered, causing another round of laughs.

"I know. I'll go by Gemma's tomorrow and take all of the paperwork," Opie said finally. "Maybe she can handle some of it from home until we can find someone. Shit, maybe I will let her deal with hiring somebody. Wayne said that she has been going out of her mind stuck in that house."

"Aye," Chibs nodded, as they all imagined what that would be like. Gemma was stuck in her house, with only birds for company. It was something none of them wanted to imagine.

"Alright, that's business for now," Opie told them, allowing the gavel to fall.

None of the men rushed to get up, not sure what would be waiting for them outside the door. Maybe the women had cleared out, but there was every possibility that they were still out there, waiting for the men to make an exit, either to plead their cases or try to lure them in to bed. It was Kozik who spoke up first.

"Anybody down for some poker?" he asked.

He heard Piney and Chibs agree almost immediately, eager for whatever would keep them in this room a little bit long. Kozik quickly volunteered to go get the cards, and probably a few phone numbers as well. Opie thought on it for a moment. He thought of Lila and their kids at home. They would be finishing dinner and doing dishes and taking baths. Then, they would probably settle in on the couch for some TV watching. Lila would probably be wonder whether or not to save him a plate and his kids would be wondering if he would be home before they went to bed. They would likely all fall asleep on the couch, huddled close together, like a real family.

Opie knew that he should go home. He knew that he should want to be there, with his family, more than anything. He glanced over at his father, who had been a constant in his life since he was born. He looked over at Chibs, who would give anything to be able to go home to his wife and his daughter right now. These men, hell, most men, would do whatever was best for their families. The difference was, Opie knew that deep, deep down, the very best thing for his family was for him to stay as far away as possible.

Kozik stumbled through the door, cards and chips and more alcohol in hand, and took his seat at the table.

"Fifty dollar buy in boys?" Chibs asked, taking the cards from Kozik. They all nodded in agreement. "Op, are you playing, brother?"

"Yeah," Opie nodded, taking out his phone to shoot a text to Lila. "Deal me in."


	2. Four Women

**Hi! I wanted to give a HUGE thank yo to everybody who reviewed and favorited and followed this story after the last chapter. MR, just reading and loving it, and AmbrosiaRush, thanks for your kind words. I have never written Opie before, and I am glad that you all seemed to like it. Here is the next chapter, a little bit different from the last one. Please let me know what you think! Enjoy and have a wonderful day!**

Lila was elbow deep in soapy water, finishing up the dinner dishes, when she heard the shrill ding of her cell phone, indicating that she had a text message. Within a couple of seconds, Ellie came rushing into the room in her pajamas, wet hair hanging down her back, with the cell phone in hand, letting her know that it was from Opie. Lila reached for the nearby dish towel, drying her hands as she glanced at the clock. 8:12. Lila knew that if she was getting a text from Op at 8:12, then it was most likely to tell her that he wouldn't be coming home. Judging by the look on Ellie's face, she was concerned as well.

"Thanks Sweetie," Lila said, managing a smile for the girl. "What are the boys up to?"

"They're in the bathroom," Ellie reported. "Kenny is reading comic books to Piper while he takes his bath."

That thought turned Lila's smile into a genuine one. Piper loved Kenny and Ellie, and the affection was mutual. It was just as if they had been siblings all of their lives. She had always wanted for Piper to have a brother or sister, and for this fact, she felt lucky that she had found a package deal in Opie.

"Spider Man again?" Lila asked as she crinkled her nose. Comic books had never been her thing, but Kenny loved them, and Piper loved anything that Kenny loved.

"No," Ellie said, rolling her eyes and smirking. "Piper decided that spiders are too scary. They are reading Superman now. Because there is nothing scary about an alien with super powers coming to Earth."

Lila groaned, "Please don't tell him that! He has Superman sheets. If he suddenly realizes that Superman is an alien, none of us will sleep for weeks."

That made Ellie laugh, and Lila was once again remind of just how much the girl looked like Opie when she was laughing. "I won't, I promise," Ellie assured her.

"Good," Lila grinned, tugging light on a wet lock of Ellie's blonde hair. "Since the boys are busy, that means you get to pick what movie we watch tonight. Go figure it out and then grab your brush. I'll braid your hair for you."

As Ellie ran off to choose a movie, Lila sighed and picked up the phone. She was glad that she could make Ellie happy, at least. She opened the text from Op, frowning as she read it. _Something came up. Will be home late. Tell the kids goodnight for me. _Her shoulders and heart sank. She had expected this from the moment she heard the text message, but that didn't stop the ripple of disappoint she felt. She had held on to a foolish hope that he would come home tonight, that they would watch TV and put the kids to bed, that they would…

"Lila! Ellie says that we have to watch that Princess Diaries movie again! Piper and me want to watch Step Brothers!" Kenny whined as he and Piper ran into the room.

Lila looked at the two boys, Piper fresh out of the bath and dressed in his train pajamas, nodding in full agreement with Kenny. Lila couldn't help but be grateful that Piper and Kenny were fast friends. Kenny took care of Piper, reading with him and playing with action figures and giving him a bath, and in return, Piper worshipped the ground Kenny walked on. If Kenny had an issue with watching The Princess Diaries, of course Piper had an issue with it too, even though Lila knew for a fact that Piper loved the movie.

"Okay, calm down guys," Lila ruffled their newly clean hair. "First of all, Step Brothers is not going to happen, but if you go pick up all the toys in your room, you can stay in there and play video games while Ellie and I watch the movie."

"Can we have popcorn still?" Piper asked, his voice a breathy whisper. "And soda?"

"Of course you can," Lila smiled. "Get picking up and I will bring it right in."

Just like that, the boys were off, leaving cheers of excitement in their wake. As Lila grabbed the microwave popcorn from the cupboard and stuck it in the microwave, she couldn't help but be a little bit sad that Opie was missing out on this. She punched in the time on the microwave and picked up her cell and typed a quick reply to Opie.

_Okay, stay safe. We love you and miss you._

She waited for a while, long enough to make two bags of microwave popcorn and all sorts of other snacks, but she knew that no matter how long she waited, she wouldn't get a reply.

Across town, two women were sitting in the kitchen of a large, mostly empty house, all of their attention focused on the baby boy in the high chair in front of them. Gemma was feeding the boy some sort of hellish orange baby food that smelled awful, but she didn't mind at all. It was a warm night, but she was wearing jeans anyway, the length of the denim used to cover the ever present ankle monitor. It was stupid, but she didn't want her grandbaby to see it. The blinking plastic strap was pure evil; keeping her here, away from her shop and her guys, alone if not for the woman and boy here right now.

Tara's hand rested on her flat stomach, thinking ahead to the days when she would swell and grow and eventually, bring a human child into the world. The baby in her womb was barely the size of a grape, but she was already picturing him. She had argued with Jax about the sex of the baby, but in her heart, she knew that she was carrying a boy. Tara hoped beyond hope that he would look like his father, all blonde hair and blue eyes and perfect lips and a smile that just melted her heart. In seven months or so, this baby would come and take the world by storm, and Jax would miss it all.

"He's eating good tonight," Gemma spoke up, pulling Tara from her thoughts. Noticing the bags around Tara's eyes, and the unhealthy look of her skin, she continued, "Has the morning sickness been bad lately?"

"Not really, no," Tara told her, sitting up and stretching, shooting a smile at Abel. "I haven't been sleeping very well, that's all."

"Has this little guy been having a hard time?" Gemma asked, feeding another scoop of the orange mush to her grandson, not at all surprised when most of it ended up on his shirt and not in his mouth.

"A little bit," Tara admitted. "He's been kidnapped, adopted, recovered, and crossed the ocean twice. He's having a hard time settling."

Gemma just nodded, and continued to feed the boy, sensing that Tara was not done yet. This girl sitting here in front of her hadn't exactly had the easiest time either. Gemma knew that part of that was on her. She hadn't exactly been easy on Tara, but the girl had come through every bit of shit thrown at her. She had patched up the guys, witnessed murder, dealt with cock chasing porn stars; and all while holding down a respectable job and taking care of this sweet little boy. Gemma had thought for a moment that losing Abel, even temporarily, would chase Tara away, but the doc had stuck it out and she was still here. Gemma was proud of her.

"I think he misses Jax," Tara spoke up suddenly. Her admission was followed by a brief silence, and then a hollow laugh. "I think I miss Jax."

There were tears in the younger woman's eyes, and as much as Gemma hated crying females, she couldn't help but reach over and take the doctor's hand. "I know baby," she said soothingly. "I miss him too. I miss them all."

They sat like that for a long while, neither of them saying anything else. Never, in a million years, did Tara think she would be here, sitting alone with Gemma while her sweet Abel ate and played, bonding over the misery of missing the ones they loved. A part of Tara hated Gemma; hated this woman who lied and manipulated and did literally anything she could to carve out her place in the world. Tara had read those letters and was well aware of the lengths Gemma would go to get what she wanted. Yes, there was a part of her that hated Gemma, but there was a larger part of her that admired Gemma. She was strength incarnate, and she would do whatever was necessary for those she loved. A part of Tara wished that she had that courage, that foresight, and those balls.

A laugh from Abel pulled their attention back to the bright, sunny boy who had upended his bowl of food directly over his own head. Their moment passed as both of the women laughed at the little blonde boy that they both loved so, so much. For just a moment, laughing at Abel covered in orange, Gemma and Tara both forgot the loneliness and pain and ache for those not present and the worry over the future and what it held. Both women instead were caught up in a moment with a happy baby boy.

More than five thousand miles away, across an ocean, in a small apartment in the center of Belfast, Fiona bolted straight up from a dead sleep. Every muscle in her body was tense and tight, and she was covered in a cold sweat. It took her a moment of frantic breathing to realize that she was fine; she was in her small bedroom, in her small apartment. Her Kerrianne was curled in bed next to her, a habit that had developed after Filip left. The two of them weren't in any imminent danger at the moment, and so she finally allowed herself to relax and breath.

Fiona considered herself a strong woman; she had to be. She had been born into the IRA and had been surrounded by turmoil from an early age. She had lost her mother before her first birthday and had been raised by a tough, unyielding father. She had experienced more forms of hate than she could recall, simply because of her skin tone. She had fallen in love with Filip Telford as a teenager and had become an Old Lady, which brought an untold amount of worry and fear and stress. She had spent twenty two hours in labor, all without the benefit of drugs, and delivered a perfect baby girl. She endured the loss of her love and spent ten years under the thumb of Jimmy O'Phalen. She had all of these experiences under her belt and she was still here, alive and breathing.

Yes, she considered herself a strong woman, which was why she was so incredibly irked by the fact that something as small as a bloody dream had her awake and in tears each and every night. She reached for the glass of water she kept on the bedside table, next to the photo of her little family. She tried to grasp it, but found that her hands were still shaking too badly, so she gave up. The smiling face of her Filip seems to stare directly at her from the frame, taking her back to the dream. She shuddered slightly, turning away from the photo. The clock told her that it was 4:09 AM, and she knew that she wouldn't be getting any more sleep tonight. Kerrianne was still curled on her side, sleeping soundly, so Fiona silently rolled out of bed and left the room.

Fiona made her way to the kitchen, where she started a pot of coffee. She generally preferred tea, but she had very recently developed a liking for the strong, bitter taste of coffee. Besides, she needed something strong this morning and tea wasn't going to cut it. She stood by the counter, waiting for the coffee to brew, trying to massage the ache from her own neck. She couldn't help but allow her mind to drift back to her dream. It had been the same one, each and every day for the past week. The sleeping pills last night hadn't stopped it from coming, but she hoped the caffeine from the coffee would ward off the effects during the day.

It was always the same dream, every night. It started off with her, walking down a road in an unfamiliar place. She never knew where she was in the dream, but her location always had a hint of familiarity, as if she had been there before but she just couldn't remember. Though she didn't know where she was, in her dream, she always knew where she was going, because down the street, about a mile in the distance, she could see him. She could always see her Filip, sitting in a chair in the middle of the road, as if he was waiting for her.

At first, she was always happy. She was overjoyed to see him, and she would walk towards him. At this point, she would begin to notice the people. Some of them were familiar to her, some of them were not, but each and every one of them was staring at her, giving her the same look that she just couldn't identify yet. Their looks always caused her discomfort, and so she began to walk faster. The closer she got to him, the more scared she became. She started seeing more and more faces she knew. Maureen was always there, a sad look in her eyes, and Trinity. The SAMBEL boys would always come next, and Filip's brothers and sisters after them. By this time, she always knew that she was dreaming, because why else would she be seeing long dead people staring at her? Knowing that she was dreaming never seemed to lessen the impact of it, though.

In her dream, she would draw closer and closer to him. She was running now, passing by the Gemma and the California lads, and they were all crying and whispering that they were sorry. She just kept running and didn't stop until she saw their Kerrianne, standing on the corner, staring at Filip in the chair. Dream Fiona never said anything to her daughter, she just looked straight ahead at her Filip, determined to prove to all of these people that everything was fine. He would finally look up at her, and give her one of his heart-stopping smiles, and for a shining moment, Fiona would believe that everything was fine, that this dream was going to end differently than the others.

She would run to him then, closing the last few feet in seconds, and throw herself at him. He would close his arms around her and things were perfect for a split second. It was then that she would start to feel it. A warm wetness always seeped its way into her consciousness at this point, and then she would start to smell the salty, metallic blood. Within seconds, she was holding on to air. Her husband was gone and she was in the middle of the road, covered in his blood. She would cry, she would call out to him, but the only response she ever got was a vicious, all cold laugh that reverberated through her skull until she woke.

The dull beeping sound of the coffee maker thankfully jolted Fiona from reliving her nightmare yet again. She went through the motions of making herself a cup, black and sweet, before returning the pot to the brewer. She made her way over to the table, stopping briefly at the pantry, where she pulled out a box of bran cereal, the kind Kerrianne would never touch. She carried the steaming cup of coffee and the cereal box over to the table where she sat, opening the small window next to her. The cold air hitting her face was harsh but welcome as it helped to wake her.

She opened the cereal and dug to the bottom of it, retrieving the pack of cigarettes and lighter she had been hiding there. Looking into the pack, she was surprised to find that it was more than half empty. She had managed to pilfer these cigarettes from Filip, his preferred brand, before he left, and she felt a moment of sadness that they would soon be gone. It wasn't that she enjoyed smoking; far from it actually. She had quit the moment she found herself pregnant with Kerrianne and hadn't missed it even a day since then. Fiona smoked these cigarettes because they reminded her of him; of the way he smelled and tasted when he came back to bed after one of his middle of the night smoke breaks. Between this and the coffee he so loved, it was as close as she could get to having him here right now.

Several days ago, during one of their daily chats, Kerrianne had made an offhanded remark about Fiona not sleeping, and though she had hoped it would go unnoticed, Filip had most definitely noticed. When he asked her about it, she had told him that she was having bad dreams. He had assumed, not illogically, that her nightmares focused on Jimmy. She wondered that she wasn't having dreams about Jimmy coming back for her, but she had peace over that now. Filip had assured her that they were safe, and she didn't know why, but she believed him. Fiona just didn't have the heart to tell him that her dreams focused on him; on her fear of losing him when she had_ just_ gotten him back. He didn't need the added stress of that knowledge weighing him down.

Soon, it would be time for Kerrianne to get up and get ready for school. Fiona would drop her off, and then go see Maureen and help do the books at the shop. She would come home in the afternoon and try to keep herself occupied with housework until it was time to retrieve Kerrianne. She looked forward to doing this all day, because as soon as Kerrianne got in the car, she would insist on calling Filip and giving him his daily "wake up call". When Kerrianne passed her the phone, Fiona's heart rate would finally return to something close to normal for the first time all day. She would get to talk to him for a few minutes, and that would get her through homework and dinner time and the rest of the housework until bed, when she would usually call him just so that she could hear his voice; hear him say that he was safe and he loved her.

Her eyes found the clock again, and she saw that it was nearing 5:00. She took one last deep drag of the cigarette and hid the evidence so that Kerrianne wouldn't find it when she woke up. She stood from her seat at the table and got ready to wake her daughter for school, all the while looking forward to that afternoon phone call. Until then, she would just try not to dwell on a dream she couldn't do anything about.


	3. Useless

**Hey guys! Here is chapter 3! Sorry for the delay. I went back to work this week after a fantastic summer break, and now my life is more about teaching nine year olds and less about writing. I will definitely try to stick with a once a week update schedule. Anyway, I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter, and I would love it if you would review!**

"Chibs, answer your phone, man," Opie said, knocking him in the shoulder and jolting him to awareness.

He was brought out of his trance relatively quickly. It wasn't as if anybody could really blame him for not being completely focused. If was 7:30 AM and he was leaning against his bike in the parking lot of Stockton Prison, waiting for visiting hours to start. Opie had insisted that they come early so that they could see the guys during the first set of visitor's hours. His day had started before 5:00 this morning, and his utter exhaustion lent itself nicely to smoking cigarettes and staring off into space. Still, he was surprised that he didn't hear his phone ring. He must have been more spent than he thought.

Chibs nodded his thanks at Op and slid the phone from his pocket. When he saw the number, he grinned. Kerrianne had made a point to call him every day after school; she called it his "wake up call". It was a couple of hours earlier than usual today, but that was no matter. His daughter was calling him, and that thrilled Chibs to no end.

"Hey Kerrianne," he answered with a smile in his voice, eager to hear all about her day; hell, eager to just talk to her.

"Guess again," came Fiona's voice over the line.

"Fi," he said, his smile widening. It may not have been who he was expecting, but it was still damn good to hear her on the line.

"Filip," she replied, and he could tell she was smiling too. "How are you, Love?"

"Doing fine," he told her. "And you? What are you up to?"

"Not too much," she said brightly, if not a little bit bitterly. "Just picking up our sweet little daughter from detention."

Filip swore under his breath and let out a low whistle. "What'd she do?"

"Fight at school," Fiona replied wearily. "Again. According to the dean, she beat the pulp out of another girl during lunch, and neither one of them would say why. This is the second time this week! He said that if it happens again, she will be suspended! She has never even stepped a toe out of line before, and now she is on the verge of suspension. I don't know what the fuck I am going to do with her."

She sounded exhausted, and he felt heartsick. He should be there, helping her deal with this shit, and the fact that he wasn't made him a strange mixture of sad, angry, and guilty. Chibs was already plotting how to get through whatever business needed to be handled in Charming so that he could get on a plane and get there in as little time as possible.

"I will talk to her," was the best solution he could give Fi at the moment. "See if I can figure out what's going on."

"I appreciate it, Love," Fi told him with a sigh. "I really do. Yell at her! Put the fear of God into her!"

"You know I won't," he told her plainly. "But I will figure out what's going on. I promise."

"Of course you will," she agreed.

Her faith in him brought a small smile back to his face. "And how about you?" he asked. "How are you holding up?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she insisted. "Nothing new around here. I have our teenage boxing champion and Maureen's crying fits and basically running the shop because she is too drunk to do it. So same old thing, really."

He laughed, not because her situation was funny, but because she had a keen ability to find humor in almost anything. "Sounds like you've got it all sorted, then."

"Oh yeah," she scoffed, before going quiet for a moment. "I miss you, you know."

"I miss you too," he said softly. While her simple admission brought back the sad, angry, guilty feeling, it also did absolutely stupid things to his heart. "I talked to Op. In a couple of weeks, when we get things here sorted out, I am planning a trip."

"Oh yeah?" she teased. "Going anywhere good."

"Haha," he replied, rolling his eyes, even though she couldn't see it. "You think you're so funny."

"I know I'm funny," she corrected, before turning more serious. "I would like that, though. It would be nice to have you here, without us all having to worry about abducted babies or murder plots."

"Nah, we will just have to worry about our daughter the prize fighter," he agreed. "Well, that and sex. Lots and lots of sex."

"A charmer is what you are," she shot back, but even from thousands of miles away, he could tell that she was intrigued. He was about to call her on it, too, when a loud siren echoed across the parking lot, indicating that visiting hours were about to begin. "I suppose you have to go?"

"Aye, seems that way," he agreed. "We're at the prison visiting the guys this morning."

"Well, you have fun doing that," she told him. "Make sure that they don't try to keep you inside."

"Not a chance," he grinned. "Have Kerrianne call me when she is done with detention?"

"You can count on it," Fiona told him. "And then maybe I will call you a bit later tonight and describe in very precise detail all of the many, many things I miss about you. In case you were wondering, it's mostly sex. Lots and lots of sex."

That certainly got his attention, and he really wanted to know more, but people were already heading toward the entrance. "I'll very much look forward to it," he told her earnestly. "I love you, Fi."

"I love you more, Filip," she replied, and then hung up before he had the chance to argue that point.

He sighed as he slid his phone back into his pocket, all the while making a point to steadfastly avoid looking at Opie, who was wearing a shit eating grin across his face.

"You done?" Op asked, like the smartass he was.

"Shut up," he said as they walked toward the prison, Opie's laughter echoing across the parking lot.

"So," the weary looking blonde man said casually. "How is life outside of Stockton Prison?"

Chibs offered a quick laugh, "Not too terrible. Boring as hell without the rest of you boys around."

"Piney doesn't really offer much in the way of entertainment, I guess," Jax replied.

The two men sat across from each other, far from comfortable at the picnic tables. They both occasionally shot glances at the two men sitting several yard away. Jax had been slightly offended when Opie had insisted on speaking with Clay, but as the President and the acting President, the two had some things to discuss, leaving time for the VP and the acting VP to bond.

"What about inside?" Chibs asked. "You boys surviving in here?"

"Surviving is a good word for it," Jax replied as a shadow passed over his face. "We are straight with brown and we have protection from black, but nothing white seems too fond of us in here."

"Yeah," Chibs agreed, understanding what they young man was trying to get across. "We are stopping in to see LaRoy on the way home. We can try bolster that protection. Maybe we'll send Alvarez a fruit basket or some flowers, see if we can get you more love."

"That would be good," Jax nodded. "You seen Tara lately?"

"Aye," Chibs told him. "A couple of days ago, she came by the garage to get her oil changed. She brought Abel with her. She seemed good; been visiting Gemma quite a bit."

"Yeah?" Jax asked, a small smile on her face. "She looked like she is doing okay?"

"She looked just fine, Jackie-Boy," Chibs confirmed. "I will check in on her later today, see if she needs anything. Op is going to see your ma, so I will see Tara. She lets me hold the baby, all Gemma let's me do is feed that damned bird."

"I forgot about your bird phobia," Jax grinned.

"It's not a phobia, I just don't like them," Chibs countered. "Anyway, your girl is doing fine. We're checking in with her all the time."

"That's good," Jax said, scrubbing his hands over his face. "Thanks brother. I appreciate it; you and Op are holding things down out there, running the business and the Club and taking care of everybody. Knowing that things are running smoothly on the outside makes being in here a little bit easier. Not much easier, but a little."

"It's not a problem," Chibs insisted. "I mostly leave the hard stuff to Op. Besides, it's you guys who have it rough. Tara is easier to deal with than Juice would be in a nine by nine cell."

Jax actually laughed, "You're telling me! I swear, we need to get that kid medicated, like as soon as possible. Although Tig is his cell mate, so there is a fifty-fifty chance that he won't make it out of here at all."

Chibs laughed, but the thought scared him more than a little. These men were his brothers, and the idea of them being in here, unprotected and unsafe while he was on the outside and not able to do a damn thing for them was not one he welcomed. He couldn't easily recall a time when he felt more useless. He couldn't be in Belfast helping his wife and daughter, and he couldn't be here in Stockton protecting his brothers.

The guards appeared suddenly, signaling that visiting hours were over. "I guess that means it's time for you to go," Jax said, a resigned tone to his voice.

"Aye, it is," Chibs nodded in agreement. "Talked to Fi a bit ago; she said I'm not allowed to stay in prison."

Jax laughed at his expense and muttered something about being whipped under his breath. They all exchanged hugs and said their goodbyes with promises to return soon. Chibs and Opie made their way out of the prison, where Chibs was quick to light a smoke. Neither he nor Opie said much as they made their way towards their bikes. Chibs stomach growled, reminding him that he had skipped breakfast in favor of seven extra minutes of sleep. For a moment, he wondered if maybe he could get Op to stop for breakfast on their way to see LaRoy, but quickly realized that was out of the question. They had a packed day, and now he also had to stop and visit with Tara at some point tonight. Breakfast was definitely a pipedream.

"You good to go?" Opie asked as they reached their bikes.

Chibs stomped his cigarette out and climbed on his bike. "Yeah, let's go."

A couple of hours later as they were leaving LaRoy's place, thankfully fed and with protection fully in place for the guys, Chibs phone rang. Before he even took it out of his pocket, he knew it was Kerrianne calling for her moment of telephonic reckoning. He took a deep breath and attempted to gather his thoughts, which was no easy feat.

Things had been smooth with the One Niners for a while now, but their deal was strained at best. In the past several months, SAMCRO had made quite a few enemies. Both the Russians and White Power had reason to want revenge on the Club, not to mention quite a few Mexicans, too. Quite simply, it boiled down to the fact that protecting SAMCRO in prison now was not as easy as it would have been a couple of months ago. Opie was able to reason with LaRoy and sweeten the deal with some guns. The offer made the Niners happy enough to throw some sandwiches their way, for which Chibs was very glad.

He pulled his phone from his pockets and looked at Op. "I need a couple of minutes, brother."

Opie nodded, "Yeah. Hurry up though. If I get to Gemma's anywhere even close to dinner time, she will make me stay, which means Lila will be on my ass. Again."

"Yeah, okay," Chibs said as he picked up his phone. "Kerrianne."

It was quite for a moment before he heard a small sigh come across the line. "Hi Da," he heard her voice say.

"How have you been, Darlin?" he asked nonchalantly. "Anything exciting happen lately?"

"I know Ma already told you what happened," Kerrianne whined, sounding like she was already over this conversation.

"Yeah, well I want you to tell me what happened," he told her firmly, not really appreciative of her attitude.

"Nothing happened," she insisted shortly.

"Nothing at all?" he asked, frustrated already. She had clearly inherited her mother's stubborn nature.

"Yeah, nothing," she insisted.

"Oh, okay. So your school and your Ma must have been mistaken when they said you got into another fist fight," he said, rolling his eyes even though she couldn't see.

"No, I got into a fight, it just wasn't all that exciting," she said, sarcasm evident in her voice, and he honestly could have kicked himself. She may have gotten the stubbornness from her mother, but that sarcasm was all him.

"Kerrianne-, "he started, but was cut off immediately.

"No, Da," she interrupted. "I have already been read the riot act by Ma. I don't need to hear it from you too. It was another stupid fight and it's done now. That's it."

"That's it? Really?" he asked, feeling his blood pressure rise by the minute. "You think that your Ma will yell at you and I will yell at you and then it's done? What the hell is going on with you Kerrianne?"

"I don't know!" she yelled, and he was a bit shocked, because she had never really yelled at him before. He had heard rumors that teenage girls yelling at their parents was pretty standard, but this wasn't just any teenage girl. This was his Kerrianne, and this was not like her. "Maybe it's the fact that my life has been turned upside down! Maybe it's the fact that Jimmy and his lies and his actions have made life pretty difficult for us lately. Maybe it's because my Ma doesn't sleep at night and spends too much time crying. Maybe it's that I got my Da back and then he left again, and now I don't know what to do, and fighting feels pretty damn good, so why the hell not!"

He was absolutely stunned. He had been trying to ignore the lingering feeling that maybe whatever was going on with Kerrianne was his fault, but he absolutely couldn't ignore it now. For most fathers, a snarky teenage lash-out fit would inspire some creative curse words, but Chibs couldn't even begin to string words together right this second. He wanted to deny it; he wanted to chastise her and make her apologize, but he wouldn't. As far as he could figure, he deserved every word she spat at him. She was probably waiting for a response, for his anger, for harsh words, for literally anything, but he just couldn't make his mouth form words.

"Da, listen…" Kerrianne began, but her words jarred him from his trance.

"No, never mind," he muttered. "You're right, about everything. Of course you are. I'm sorry Kerrianne."

"God, Da, no," she groaned. "This isn't your fault. None of it is. I was being a rotten little wanker and I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."

"It's okay," he told her, still unable to stop playing her words over and over in his head.

"No it's not," she insisted. "Do you want to yell at me?"

"Not really," he told her honestly. "I kind of want to hug you though."

"No," she told him firmly. "No hugs for me. Beatings maybe, but no hugging. Also, I am grounded. God, I am so, so sorry Da."

He cracked a tiny smile, "No to the beatings, but you can be grounded if you insist."

"Fantastic!" she agreed easily. "You still love me?"

"Always, Darlin," he told her. "Listen, I will be back there as soon as I can be, you know that, right? A couple of weeks, tops."

"Really?" she asked, excitement evident in her voice, almost as if she expected him to never actually come back.

"Really," he replied. "We have a few things to settle up here, but then I will be there."

"I can't wait!" she exclaimed.

"Me either, Darlin," he said with a smile. Opie was looking at him and he knew that he had to go. "Listen Kerri, I have to run."

"Okay Da," she said quickly. "Two weeks? And you will be here?"

"Two weeks," he agreed. "And listen, if your Ma asks…"

"You yelled at me and punished me and I am deeply regretful for my actions, I know," she affirmed. "I love you, Da."

"I love you too," he replied without a second thought. "Oh, and tell your Ma that I am kind of in desperate need of that phone call she promised."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, but I will tell her," she said, confusion evident in her voice.

"Kerrianne, one more thing," he rushed, wanting to catch her before she hung up. "No more fights, okay?"

"Okay Da," she responded. "No more fights. Have a good night!"

"You too, Baby," he told her, hanging up and sliding the phone back into his pocket.

He took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. This was turning out to be a fucking ridiculous day. His wife was at her wit's end because his kid was getting into fights. His brothers were locked up. His kid rightly blamed him for her life being fucked up. On top of all that, they still had a good two hours ride home.

"Rough talk?" Opie asked, his question very casual, but Chibs knew his brother was concerned.

"You have no fucking idea," Chibs said as he swung a leg over his bike, ready to ride and hopefully forget about how fucking useless he was for a while. "Let's get out of here."


	4. Fragile

**Hi guys! Here is chapter 4! I hope that it is okay. I didn't have the opportunity to do a lot of editing. It's actually a small miracle that this even got written at all. It's the first week of a new school year (I am a school teacher) and I am honestly barely "staying afloat" at the moment! Anyway, I hope that you guys enjoy this bit. Please let me know what you think, or hell, just leave some encouragement! Thanks again for reading!**

Opie did not manage to make it home for dinner. It was after ten when he finally rolled into his own neighborhood. Lila was probably going to be pissed at him, but he couldn't have helped it if he wanted to. Gemma had kept him at her house for hours and hours; not only forcing him to stay for dinner, but drinks as well. Then, he had watched and listened as went over paperwork and shop business and discussed who to hire and all sorts of other shit. He definitely appreciated all of her help with the paperwork, and he could tell that the company did her some good. Gemma had been like a mother to him when his own mother had left all those years ago. Opie might have promised Lila he would be home for dinner, but he couldn't in good conscience just drop in for ten minutes and then leave Gemma on her own again. He owed her way too much for that.

Still, he had no idea whether or not any of that would matter to Lila, who had been home, basically alone, with three kids for more than a week. She had gone from an independent, single mother of one to a full time mother of three in a very short amount of time. That was enough to make even the best mother completely insane, and though Lila tried hard, she was far from 'best mother' material. Sure, she cooked and cleaned his house and got his kids to school and everything, and he really did like her a lot, but at the end of the day she was still a porn star with a not so distant drug habit. His cell showed that he had missed six calls from her over the course of the day, so his best guess was that he was in at least a bit of hot water.

He parked his bike in the garage and was not at all surprised to find the house dark. It had been dark when he returned home every night for the past week. Though it was after ten, this was earlier than he had been coming home lately, and he had half hoped that Lila would be awake, but it looked as if the house was asleep. _Maybe that is for the better,_ he thought. _Maybe this fight can wait for another night._

Opie walked out of the garage and into the house, letting his hand brush against the door frame, marked in pen with heights and dates and initials. He entered the kitchen and was very surprised to find that everybody was not, in fact, already in bed. Lila sat alone in the dark at the kitchen table, half empty bottle of cheap wine and a plastic Hot Wheels cup on the table in front of her. One look at her and Opie knew that he had been correct in his assumption that she would not be very happy with him.

"Hey," he muttered, deciding to play it cool as he walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer. "Kids asleep?"

She gave a hollow laugh. "It's 10:30 on a school night. Of course the kids are asleep."

"Good," he said, because really, what else could he say?

She picked up her cup and drained it, before refilling. "You didn't answer any of the times I tried to call you."

An automatic _I know_ almost came out, but he held himself back. "Yeah, I was in Stockton this morning, then I had to deal with some Club stuff the rest of the day."

"I see," she said simply, before she fell quiet.

The two of them sat that way for a few minutes, and the silence was maddening. Lila wasn't drinking her wine and she wasn't saying anything, but the way she was looking at him had Opie on edge. It was as if she was staring right through him, and she could see every single thing that was wrong with him, and he just wanted her to fucking stop looking at him like that.

"Are you going to say anything else, or can I just go to bed?" he asked, irrationally hoping that she would just agree to drop this.

Instead, her eyes narrowed slightly with disgust and she shook her head, "You can be such an asshole sometimes, you know that?"

It was his turn for a humorless laugh. "Yeah, I really do."

Opie knew that he should say something or do something to fix this. He liked Lila, a lot. She didn't deserve to be treated like shit. He wanted, _needed_, this to work. Lila had been there for him at a time when he thought he wasn't going to make it. He was a single father with two children, his mom had bailed again, his dad was drunk all the time, and he literally hadn't been able to count on anybody else. Lila had come along and changed that. She had stuck around, for him and for his kids, and that meant something to Op. Right now, though, he felt like he was running on fumes, and he didn't know if he had enough to keep even himself on the right track, much less the two of them.

Still, there were things to be said. He was trying his best to string some word together, to thank her, to tell her that he appreciated her dealing with all of his shit. Hell, at this point, he would say almost anything to get that look off of her face. The words never came though, because just then, they noise of a door opening and feet rushing across the hall echoed through the kitchen. Lila sighed and quickly stood, abandoning her plastic cup of wine.

"What's going on?" he asked her, just before she could leave the kitchen.

She turned back to him and sighed. "Some kids in Kenny's class were making fun of him today. They told him that he had a ghost for a Mom, and he started crying. He told his teacher that he was crying because he was sick and wanted to go home, so she sent him to the clinic. While he was sitting in the clinic waiting for me to come pick him up, he must have actually picked something up, because he has been puking since about 3:00. Also, while I was at the school, the principal thought it might be a good time to let me know that Ellie is failing the fourth grade because all she does is draw pictures of unicorns all day, instead of reading and doing math and shit like that."

Opie wasn't really sure how to respond to any of that, so he just stared at her, trying to process all of this information. They locked eyes for a moment and he saw just how exhausted she looked. Before he could speak up and tell her to go to bed and let him handle things, the retching sounds resounded through the kitchen. "There are some leftovers from dinner in the fridge if you are hungry; Kenny didn't want to eat his. I am going to go handle this and then go to bed. Good night, Op."

When she made to leave the kitchen this time, he didn't stop her, even though part of him wanted to. Part of him wanted to hug her and tell her to go get some rest. Part of him wanted to go comfort and take care of his son down the hall. There was a part of Opie that still wanted to be the good husband and good father he knew he could be. That part of him was smaller than the part that just wanted to sit here in the kitchen and feel sorry for himself, so the good part never got to win.

His eyes once again caught sight of the door jamb, where the growth of his family was marked, inch by inch. He remembered the Donna marking the door from the time Ellie could manage to stand up on her own, and he could clearly picture the small, childish unicorn tattoo Donna wore on her right ankle. He couldn't let his eyes linger on the memory, so instead he got up and stuffed the leftovers into the microwave, even though he wasn't at all hungry. As he waited for the food to heat, he hoped beyond hope that wherever Donna was now, she couldn't see what he had become in her absence.

Chibs knocked softly on Tara's door, very cognizant of the fact that a baby lived in this house, and there would be hell to pay for waking the child. He had meant to come by and see Tara much earlier than 8:00 PM, but time had gotten away from him. He had managed a few hours of working on his bike, plus a bit of much needed laundry, before Fiona called, much to his delight. She had more than delivered on each of her earlier promises, and by the time they hung up, he had even more laundry to do. He should have come to check in on Tara then, but he couldn't bring himself to go play with a wee baby after a phone call such as that, so he showered thoroughly and made himself dinner before he went over, figuring that enough time had passed and he would be able to focus on Tara and Abel, rather than the words of his wife.

The door swung open and the sight of Tara almost startled him. She looked completely and totally..not like the doctor he knew and loved. She was dressed in what appeared to be the oldest pair of pajama pants in the world, along with one of Jax's SAMCRO t-shirts, decorated with a streak of what might be vomit on the left shoulder, and he barely resisted the urge to ask if it was hers or Abel's. Her hair was thrown up in a quick, lopsided pony tail that was utterly failing. The hair that had escaped looked to contain bits of whatever she was trying to make Abel eat. To say that she looked rough would be a definite understatement.

"Chibs," she said, and she looked surprised to see him and a little bit embarrassed too. "I'm sorry, did I know you were coming?"

He knew that he probably should have called. "Hey Doc. No, you didn't. Just thought that I would stop by and check on you."

"Oh," she said, her posture relaxing just a bit upon realizing that she hadn't, in fact, screwed up. "Come on in. Sorry that everything is a little bit of a mess."

He walked into the house, squeezing her shoulder. "Not to worry, Doc. I spend most of my time at the Club house. I am used to a bit of a mess."

She laughed a little bit at that and shook her head. Chibs followed her through the living room to the kitchen, where Abel was strapped in his high chair, smearing some awful looking neon orange colored baby food all over the tray. Tara sighed wearily upon seeing the boy.

"Come on Abel, I think you're done with this food for tonight," she said, grabbing a damp cloth and lifting the tray off the high chair. "I left him alone for one minute, and this happens. I swear, he is just like his father. Help yourself to a beer, if you want."

He smiled and did exactly that. Abel was not in any way happy about losing his 'dinner', and made his protests well known. Tara did her best to calm the boy as she cleaned him up, whispering soothing words that Chibs was almost sure the kid couldn't hear over his own screams. Once she finished wiping him down, she made him a bottle of apple juice and only then did the crying stop. Chibs watched in both sympathy and wonder. He could actually quite vividly remember what it was like to have a wee baby at home, but he was almost sure that Kerrianne never screamed that much, and besides, he always had Fi around for the hard stuff. He couldn't even begin to imagine how Tara was doing this on her own.

"You look like you could use this more than me," he said, offering her his mostly full beer.

She laughed, but shook her head. "Can't," she said, wistfully. "Pregnant, remember? In a few months, I will have another one of these running around."

"Yeah," he said, taking note of the strained sound in her voice. "You are doing great though, Doc. I mean it."

"I am glad that one of us thinks so," she smiled at him. "So, who sent you by? Opie, or Gemma?"

He should have known she would guess. "Neither, actually," he told her. "Went by and saw Jackie-Boy today. He asked me to stop in and check on you."

That definitely caught her interest, she straightened up, eager for fresh news. "How is he doing?"

"Well," Chibs started not quite sure what to say. "I suppose he seemed like he was doing okay, under the circumstances."

"Good," Tara said, nodding as if she were trying to convince herself. "That's good."

"Yeah, they are all sticking together and taking care of each other in there," Chibs told her. "He mostly asked about you and Abel. Wanted to make sure we were taking care of you."

That brought a real smile to her face, although it he wasn't mistaken, her lower lip was trembling. He was decidedly uncomfortable in the presence of crying women, but if anybody deserved a bit of a cry, it was probably Tara. She had been dragged through a lot of shit, and now here she was, alone, with an Old Man in prison and a kid and a half.

"I'm glad he is okay," she said softly, thankfully holding back any tears. "I know I should go visit him, but I am not sure if I can see him in a prison jumpsuit, behind bars, without turning into a sobbing mess. I figure I will give it a couple of weeks and let the hormones calm down first."

"That's probably a good idea," he said in agreement. "Whenever you are ready, you let us know. We'll take you out there. I know he would love to see you."

"Okay," she said simply, before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "I really miss him, you know?"

"I know, Doc," he replied, taking a swig of his beer and thinking about his own missing half. "I really do."

Their conversation was interrupted by Abel, who was beginning to whine again. Tara sighed heavily, "He should be asleep by now. He still isn't used to being back home yet."

"Shit, I'm still not used to being back stateside yet," Chibs complained. "He will get adjusted before too long, don't you worry."

"I sure hope so," Tara said, adjusting Abel slightly in an attempt to comfort him.

Chibs looked around, feeling useless once again. The feeling was becoming more and more familiar to him, and he really hated it. He glanced back at Tara, before he spoke again. "Can I do anything for you, Doc? Anything at all to help?"

She sat up a little straighter, and bit her lip. He could tell that there was something she wanted to say, and he was glad when she broke down and spit it out, "Actually, I would kill for a bath. Do you, um, mind watching Abel for a few minutes?"

That surprised him, but it shouldn't have. Tara's every spare minute was spent with a tiny, needy person. If an hour or so alone was what she needed, he could give that to her. Besides, he liked Abel. "Of course I can watch Abel. As long as he doesn't need his nappy changed, we will be fine. Hand him over."

A huge grin broke out across her face. "Thank you so much, Chibs. He is clean and dry and he shouldn't give you any trouble at all."

"Of course he won't," Chibs replied, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

"If he cries, just give him his pacifier," Tara instructed, handing the boy over. "And, um, maybe try reading to him?"

"Reading, huh?" Chibs asked. "If he a literature buff already?"

"Not really, but I guess after his little Irish vacation, he just got used to the accents. I think it comforts him. We've been watching a lot of BBC lately, to put it mildly," she said, quite seriously.

"Makes sense," Chibs said. "I can't promise a passable Irish accent, but Scottish might do. I will try my best."

"Thank you again," she told him, and she surprised him with a hug. "I shouldn't be too long."

"Take all the time you need," he argued as he returned the hug and then shooed her from the room, glad that he was able to help out in some small way.

Once she actually left, he and Abel made their way to the living room. He looked down at the wee boy in his arms, who already reminded him so much of Jackie-Boy. "Alright lad," he said softly, looking around the room. "What'll it be? The New England Journal of Medicine?" _blank stare_ "No? Too dry? How about Sense and Sensibility_?"_ _another blank stare_ "Yeah, too gay. I guess we are going to have to go with the old Harley parts catalog."

That actually got a gurgle and a toothless grin from the boy, so Chibs picked up the selection and parked himself in the recliner. He held Abel against his chest, and the boy listened with rapt attention as he read aloud, page after page, detailing different engine part offerings. The longer he read to the lad, the more clear it became that the boy was a Teller, through and through.


	5. New Girl

**Bit of a longer chapter guys! Hopefully it isn't too dreadful and you can enjoy it. I would love to hear what you guys think! Hope you all manage to enjoy it!**

The doorbell rang and Opie ran his hands over his face, knowing that this was absolutely the last of this he could take. He looked over at Gemma, who sat draped over her easy chair, looking for all the world like a queen on her throne.

"Gem, please, be nice," he said, nearly begging. "Just give this one a shot. For me."

She shot him her very best 'eat me' look before responding, "If these bitches can't handle me here and now, how do you think they will handle irate customers and bikers?"

She had a point, but right now, they really just needed to hire somebody. They had met with four girls so far today about filling in for Gemma at the garage, and Gemma had summarily dismissed each and every one of them. Mallory was 'dumb as a box of rocks', Tiffany had actually offered to suck his dick in exchange for the job, Cynthia had asked about health insurance, which made her 'too uppity', and Lauren's eyes pointed in two different directions. He didn't necessarily disagree with Gemma's assessment of the women who had been in so far, but he really hoped that the fifth one was the charm. They were kind of desperate at this point.

"I know, but we need somebody Gem," he explained as gently as possible. "Chibs is leaving in the morning, and he has been handling a lot of the shit that you usually do. It doesn't have to be perfect and it's not a permanent thing. It's just until we can get you back in there or figure something else out. Just…try not to scare the shit out of this one?"

He stood up and moved the door as Gemma nodded. Once he was out of hearing range, she muttered, "I still don't see why Chibs has to go"

When they returned to the living room, the girl accompanying Opie was not at all what Gemma had expected. They had had a little bit of everything walk through this door today, but she could tell immediately that this girl was about as far from the others as they came. While most of the other job candidates had come to the interview doing their very best impression of a slutty librarian, this girl was dressed in dark wash jeans and a green and white striped shirt with three quarter sleeves. The sandals on her feet look comfortable enough to be called practical, but attractive enough to be impressive. There was nothing exceptional about her hair, it was a light brown in color and it hung loose around her face and down her back, curling at the ends. Unlike the other girls, she wore almost no makeup. Her skin had that enviable peaches and cream complexion that most women would kill for. Other than some simple lip gloss and a touch of eye liner to frame her hazel eyes, her oval shaped face was completely unadorned. She wasn't what anybody would call beautiful, but there was something about the girl that captured and held Gemma's attention.

"Hi," the girl said evenly, shooting Gemma a half smile. "I'm Tess. You must be Gemma."

"Tess," Gemma replied, annoyed that Op had forewarned the girl. She was trying to size her up. Her voice was calm and even, but had a soothing quality to it. Gemma had to admit, it would be a good voice to answer the phone with. "Don't hear that name very often."

"The same could probably be said about Gemma," Tess pointed out without a hint of fear. That made Gemma sit up straighter and pay a bit more attention.

"True enough," she replied. "So, Tess. Tell me what makes you want to come work in our little auto repair shop."

"Well Gemma," the girl said. "If I'm being honest, and I always am, I want to come work in your little auto repair shop because it's a job that pays decent and doesn't involve turning tricks or serving food to anybody. I'm not really a fan of either."

That bit of honesty was enough to make Gemma laugh out loud, but she stopped pretty quickly. She wouldn't want this girl to think that she actually liked her and get her hopes up. Time for the next question. "You aren't from around here, are you Tess?"

"No ma'am, I'm not," Tess sighed. "I'm from Garden Grove."

"Garden Grove?" Gemma asked, surprised. "That's what, a couple hours away? You planning a move to Charming?"

"If I get this job, yeah," Tess replied, very matter of factly. "If I don't, then I will move wherever I do get a job."

"You know that this position isn't permanent? You might want to think about that fact real hard before planning a big move," Gemma was quick to point out.

"I don't need permanent," Tess replied firmly. "I just need a job."

"No, Sweetie," Gemma came back smartly. "What you need is to tell me why you are trying so hard to leave Garden Grove. You have trouble following you?"

Tess gave the older woman a shrewd look before responding. "No, no trouble. I have lived in Garden Grove my whole life. I just need…a change. Just something a little different for a while. Charming is close enough to not be considered 'abandoning' my family, but far enough away that they won't come visit."

That was definitely something that Gemma could understand. Damn it, she was beginning to like this girl.

"Do you know anything about auto repair," Opie spoke up, and Gemma jumped a bit, because she had almost forgotten that he was there.

"I know how to pump gas and change a tire," Tess replied. "But outside of that, no. What I do know is book keeping and customer service and scheduling. Computers, too."

"Good," Opie said, nodding. "That's good. We can fix the cars, if you can handle the rest of the crap."

"What's your opinion on the law?" Gemma surprised herself by blurting out. She hadn't intended on informing the new hire of any Club business at all, but she just couldn't resist the opportunity to see how the girl reacted to the question.

"The law?" Tess answered, clearly thrown for a loop. "I guess it's good in theory, but not always great in practice? You're going to have to ask more specific questions if you want more specific answers."

Opie shot Gemma a look, which she blatantly ignored. "We aren't exactly the typical employers, Darlin," Gemma told her, watching the girl closely to gauge her response.

"I gathered that from the motorcycles and leather vests with pictures of death on them," Tess said dryly. "Look, if you plan on hiring me, and I really hope you are, I plan on coming to work, doing my job, and leaving. I know how to do what I am told, and as long as you pay me, I am not planning on causing trouble or asking questions."

Gemma's expression didn't change as she stared the girl down and weighed their options. This girl intrigued her. Tess reminded her a bit of…somebody. She couldn't quite put her finger on who. She looked over at Opie, who was literally begging her with his eyes to just hire the girl and get it done. Gemma sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. She didn't know if this girl was right for the job. Really, she wasn't sure if this girl was right for the lifestyle that went with the job. Opie was right though; with Chibs leaving tomorrow for God knew how long, they didn't have much of a choice.

"Alright," Gemma spoke up. "Tell you what; there is a party tonight. A mild party. Head to the garage after closing and meet everybody. If you can survive the party, and if the guys there say it's okay, the job is yours."

Tess let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding and nodded eagerly. "Is coming to parties and impressing guys going to be a regular part of my job?"

She was surprised when Gemma and Opie both laughed. She hadn't meant it to be a funny question. She looked over at Gemma, who was smiling at her.

"Honey," the older woman said. "You have no idea."

By nine that night, the party was in full swing. It wasn't exactly a traditional SAMCRO party, because with the majority of SAMCRO behind bars, a real party was out of the question. The hang arounds and friends and most of the mechanics from the garage, plus the Prospects and a group of incoming Nomads made for a pretty good time, even without the rest of the guys. The drinks were flowing and poker was being played and food was being eaten and the music was loud, so all in all, everybody seemed to be having a good time.

The party was intended to be a sendoff for Chibs, who was off to spend three weeks in Ireland, as well as a welcome party for the Nomads who were coming to help out with Club business in his absence. It was also a pseudo-going away party for a lot of the Crow Eaters, who would be heading to other charters for the duration of the guys' prison stay. The absence of the other guys was definitely noticed, especially by the Crow Eaters who were longing for Tig or Bobby or Juice, or really anybody else that would show them a good time.

The guys were having a good time and were focused on anything but their missing brothers. There was a really good game of poker going. Chibs, Opie, Piney, Chuckie and a new Prospect ominously called Filthy Phil were gathered around the card table. This was not at all unusual for any of them. What was unusual was the fact that Lila and Tara were both there as well. Gemma was all too happy to have Abel for the night, allowing Tara a bit of time to herself. It had, surprisingly, been Lila who convinced her to come tonight. Tara had resisted at first, wanting to spend some time out with friends, but she had been kind of shocked to realize that, apart from these porn stars and bikers, she really didn't have any friends. There was a time when that might have made her sad, but right now, she was pretty damned grateful for these people.

"Chibs, come on!" Lila groaned. "Can't you just let us win? Just once?"

Everybody laughed, but Lila was serious. She was already out a good two hundred bucks, and her luck didn't look at be changing anytime soon. Of course, the fact that she was losing money to Chibs didn't matter in the least to her, because Opie was sitting next to her, his hand on her knee, and he was smiling and laughing and looking like he was having a good time. It had been awhile since she had seen him like this, and that was worth any amount of lost money.

"I'm sorry, Lila," Chibs shrugged. "I just can't. It's not in my blood!"

"Really?" Tara asked with a raised eyebrow. "Does it even bother you at all that you are taking money from a pregnant woman whose husband is in prison? How am I going to feed my baby?"

Chibs grinned in response. "Maybe once the wee thing is born, I'll let you win," he said. "But for now, I am betting that my baby is more expensive than yours."

That got a laugh out of everybody, and Lila was quick to agree with him.

"He's right Tara," she offered, quite seriously. "You know how teenage girls are about clothes and shoes."

Tara nodded in agreement, which made Chibs fret for just a moment. Was Lila right? He hadn't, in the week he had spent with her or their daily phone calls since, noticed a particular predilection for shoes in Kerrianne, and her clothes just seemed like…clothes. When he really thought about it, he had absolutely no idea at all how much the upkeep of a teenage girl might cost and what all she might need. He added another thing to the mental list of things he wanted to ask Fi about, figuring that she would have much more information on this topic.

The conversation and laughter stopped when the Club house door opened and a new, unfamiliar woman walked through the door. Most of them had never seen her before and were instantly on guard over the new person who had just arrived.

"Who the hell is that?" Chibs was quick to voice everybody's question.

"That's Tess," Opie replied quickly. "The girl Gem and I hired to fill in in the office for a while. I better go intercept her before the mechanics catch a whiff. You guys can meet her."

With those words, he was gone. They all watched him as he went and greeted the brunette. The women were already trying to figure out how to mark their territory and let her know that their men were off limits. The men at the table ranged from curious to horny as hell. The mood was tense as they all took in the girl approaching. She was pretty in her own way, with brown hair and bright hazel eyes and a nice smile.

Her outfit would have been perfectly normal anyplace else, but here at the Club house, she stuck out like a sore thumb. Her dark wash jeans fit her well and she was wearing a tight gray t-shirt with a chicken emblazoned across the front of it. Her feet were comfortable in a pair of ankle high boots that would not have looked out of place in a combat situation. Her makeup was light and understated and she was about as far from a Crow eater as they came.

"Everybody, this is Tess," Opie said as he and the new woman stopped in front of the table. "Tess, this is everybody."

They all nodded and muttered stiff hellos. The exchange was headed quickly towards awkward before Chibs spoke up and broke the silence.

"Everybody that's not in prison, anyway," he not so tactfully added on. "Name's Chibs."

The look of alarm on the girl's face was enough to break the ice. She wasn't sure if they were kidding or not, and she really wanted to ask, but part of the deal was that she wouldn't ask questions, and she wasn't about to start now.

"Oh," she said nervously. "Um, I see. Okay. Hi."

Now that tensions had eased, they all took turns introducing themselves around the table and Opie was glad to see that things were going well. They would all likely be spending quite a bit of time together over the next few months, and that would go much better if they all got along.

"You want a drink or something?" Opie offered, wanting to make her comfortable.

"Yeah, a drink would be great," she replied shooting him a grateful look.

"Allow me to escort you to the bar, Madame!" Chuckie said, jumping to his feet.

"Oh God," she said, fully taking him in. Everybody immediately laughed, and Tess felt incredibly guilty when she saw the fingerless man deflate a bit. It was enough for her to change her tune. "Um, that would be great, actually."

He rushed and linked arms with her before leading her away from the table and towards the bar, where she asked a prospect for some tequila and Chuckie asked for a glass of chocolate milk.

"You and I are probably going to be working together a lot," he told her, a somewhat proud tone in his voice, as he took a sip of his milk.

"Is that right?" she asked, not quite ready for the shit of tequila just yet. "So what exactly do you do around here, Chuckie?"

"I do what I'm told!" he said, his tone in no way indicating that he was kidding.

"And right now, you are being told to go check the back and see if we have any more vodka. The Crow Eaters need something to mix with their cranberry juice and cocaine," a new voice said from right behind her. Tess turned and came face to face with a new man. This one was tall and tan, his blonde hair sticking out at all angles. She was stricken for a moment by how incredibly handsome he was and she tried not to let it show. "Go on, Chuckie. I will keep your friend company."

"I accept that," Chuckie replied, strolling off, chocolate milk in hand.

He turned to look at her then, and when his bright blue eyes met hers, Tess knew she was in a shitload of trouble. "Hey," he said with a lazy smile. "I'm Kozik. Who are you?"

"Uh," she stuttered before quickly catching herself. She quickly collected herself, not willing to let this situation get away from her. "Tess. I'm Tess. Why did you send Chuckie away?"

"Tess, it's nice to know you," he said smoothly, shaking her hand and not letting it go. "And I sent him away because I saw him monopolizing a pretty girl that I wanted to talk to."

"A pretty girl?" she asked skeptically, knowing where this conversation was likely headed, but enjoying it a little bit anyway.

"Yeah, a really pretty girl," he responded, his eyes sincere. "So, Pretty Girl. I haven't seen you around here before."

"Yeah," she replied, sliding her hand out of his, barely containing laughter. "I am new. They hired me to work in the office for a few months."

"Ah, so we'll see each other a lot," he said, not at all put off by the fact that her hand was no longer in his. "That's good."

"Is it?" she asked, finding his slick talk a bit comical at this point. She could tell that he was half way drunk and really just wanted to get her into bed, which would not happen, ever.

"I think it is," he nodded, never losing the smile. "So Tessie, what's with the chicken?"

"It's Tess," she came back immediately, ignoring his completely random question.

"Tess, Tessie, what's the difference?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Well, how would you like it if I called you…Clarence?" she asked, trying to make a point.

"I'm not Clarence, I'm Kozik," he said, slowly as if talking to a small child. "Mechanic here, member of the MC, man of your dreams…"

Upon hearing that, Tess's eyebrows shot so far up, they nearly flew off. "Wow," she said slowly, drawing the word out. "That was just…"

"Just what?" he cut her off, a grin still decorating his face. "Incredible? Awesome? Just what you have been waiting to hear me say?"

"Bad," she finished emphatically. "Just really bad. Where did you even learn a line like that? Does that actually work on some girls?"

"Well, yeah," he stammered, a little surprised that she wasn't falling into his arms yet.. "I mean…it's just…it works!"

"Maybe it works on some of these other women I see around here," Tess said, the picture of false sympathy clear across her face. "Maybe you should go talk to one of them. Try that line again."

"It really didn't work?" he asked, not quite believing that this new girl was turning him down. Women around here would do anything to bag a Son, for a night or for life, and yet this girl was saying no.

"It really, really, really didn't work," Tess insisted with a friendly grin. "Better luck next time."

He was still dumbfounded, but he buried that. He just casually shrugged as he hopped off the bar stool and turned to walk away. "Whatever. I am not a big fan of chicken anyway."

She shook her head and laughed at him. "Yes you are," she said. "But see, you're out of luck again. It's not a chicken."

That had him turned around rather quickly. "What do you mean it's not a chicken?" he asked, confused. "I am looking right at your shirt, and that sure as shit is a chicken on the front of it."

"Maybe at first glance," Tess agree. "But really not at all."

"Fine," he said with a self-satisfied smirk, knowing that there was no way he could be wrong. "What is it then?"

"It's my huge cock," she told him before throwing back the shot in front of her and walking towards the back bathroom, leaving him in her wake, his mouth hanging wide open.

Once she was out of his sight, she let out a bit of nervous, hysterical laughter. She couldn't believe how perfectly that conversation had played out, how well her false confidence had held up. She couldn't have planned it better if she had tried. Wherever this Kozik was now, whoever he went home with tonight, she knew that she would be on his mind for a while. That thought made her far happier that it should have. She should feel guilty, but she was on cloud nine right now, which was why she jumped about thirty feet in the air when she felt a hand fall to her shoulder.

"Easy there, lass," a friendly, muddled voice came from right next to her. "I'm not here to hurt you. Op sent me to rescue you from Kozik, but I heard you handle that on your own."

"Yeah, I did," she nodded with a smile, glad to know that she wasn't about to be murdered. "Chibs, right?"

"The one and only" he replied with a warm smile. "I will admit that I am a bit disappointed that I came all the way over here, only to find you fending for yourself."

"Sorry," she said with a mostly straight face. "I will try to be a bit ore damsel next time."

"No reason to," Chibs said. "Now that we know you can handle yourself, we will leave you to your own devices. You and your huge cock."

"So you heard that bit, then," she asked, shooting him a tight, slightly embarrassed smile.

"Oh, I definitely did," he assured her. "You know, I am almost a bit sad to be heading to Ireland tomorrow. I think that seeing Kozik have to face you again is going to be pretty damned entertaining."

"Oh, don't be," she rushed to say. "Ireland will be way better. I won't hang it over his head too much."

"That's too bad," he said as he turned to walk away. "I think I like you. You are going to do fine here."

With those kind words, he was gone, and Tess couldn't help but feel a little bit flattered and relieved that she had managed to impress at least one person here.


	6. Getting Warmer

**Just a short, sweet chapter that I wrote...well, I guess I just wrote it because I wanted to. Consider it a bonus chapter. My birthday is this coming week, so I am not entirely certain I will be able to get another chapter out on Thursday or not. HEY! Know what would be a great birthday gift? Leave a review. I've got to be a honest, while I love writing this story, it kind of kills me when I get a grand total of two people who let me know that they are reading and liking it. So do a girl a favor and review! Thanks friends, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

When he opened his eyes, Chibs was hit by that split second of sheer panic that came with waking up and having absolutely no idea where you are. The jolt of unfamiliarity had his muscles tensed and his heart rate skyrocketing for just a second. The room he was in was almost pitch black and he couldn't really see much, but sheets on the bed he was lying in were far too soft to be his own. The air was much too cold for him to believe that he was in California, and the scent of apples filled the room, or at least his general area. None of these things clicked for him, however. It was the warm body pressed against his side, the ridiculous curls tickling his nose that comforted him and reminded him that he was in Ireland, with his family, and as far as he could tell, things were right as rain.

The trip overseas had been long and exhausting. He had spent hours and hours crammed into a plane, and he was far from a good flyer, even under the best of circumstances. He had thought that the long day of travel, coupled with the time change would ensure that he would sleep well. Apparently, he had thought wrong. Maybe the time difference was too much to overcome right away, but one glance at the clock told him that it was nearly four in the morning and he was wide awake after a couple of short hours rest. Fiona was sleeping soundly against him, and he was glad for it. He knew for a fact that rest had been hard to come by for her lately, and if he had to be awake than at least he could take comfort in the fact she was sleeping soundly.

As carefully as he possibly could, he extracted himself from Fiona's embrace, and then immediately regretted it once he climbed out of bed. The cold night air had him freezing, but he was desperately in need of something to drink. He gently covered his still sleeping wife with the blankets and grabbed his hoodie from the floor where it had been tossed last night in their haste to get as naked as possible, as fast as possible. He pulled it on and zipped it as he quietly left the room in search of a bottle of water and one of his smokes that he knew Fiona kept hidden somewhere in the kitchen.

He had no trouble making his way to the kitchen. The flat that his wife and daughter shared was small enough that he couldn't get lost even if he tried. There was a bedroom and a bathroom for each of them, along with a kitchen and a living room. There was a big bay window in the living room, and one in the kitchen that generally let light in, though that wasn't quite evident in the dead of night. The floor was covered in marble tile that he supposed was nice, but right now it was just making him wish he had worn socks. Chibs grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and downed half of it in one gulp. He looked around the little flat that his wife and daughter called home. He had to admit that it was a really nice place. They had managed to get everything unpacked and set up and painted and nicely decorated. In these few weeks that he had been gone, Fiona and Kerrianne had really turned this place into a home.

As he looked around, he could clearly see their mark all over the place. Kerrianne's shoes were by the door and her books were stacked on the coffee table. Her backpack was hanging on one of the dining room chairs, and he would put good money on her being behind the framed Doctor Who picture hanging above the door. Fiona's tastes were displayed as well. The artwork that hung in the living room was definitely her taste. He could smell the lavender candles that she had always preferred, and he knew for a fact that the framed photographs were her influence as well.

The fact that there were traces of them all over the flat was not at all surprising; after all, they both made their home here. What did surprise him was the fact that there were traces of him here as well. The walls in the kitchen were painted the exact shade of blue that he had picked out for the home they had once shared. An ancient blanket that had come with him to the first flat that they ever lived in was draped over the easy chair. An old, chipped coffee cup that he had always drank his tea out of was hanging on a hook in the kitchen. He couldn't even begin to imagine where Fiona had found these things. A postcard from California, which he had sent at Kerrianne's insistence, was stuck to the fridge with a magnet. As he looked around at the pictures, he found that he was in several of them; old ones from when they had been newly married and then more from when Kerrianne had been young, as well as a couple of new ones that Maureen had taken several weeks ago when he and the guys were here to get Abel. His preferred tea bags, black with bergamot, were in the pantry. It made him grin in a completely stupid way to see traces of himself around here.

He finished his water and rummaged around the kitchen for a few minutes, looking for the hidden cigarettes. He knew that they had to be here somewhere; he had noticed a pack missing almost as soon as he had arrived back in Charming and knew that it had been Fi who took them. She had always insisted that she wasn't a smoker, not since she had gotten pregnant with Kerrianne, but he knew better than that. For years and years, she would knick a smoke from him every once in a while. He was quite good at counting and could very easily tell when a few of his personal stash were missing, but she had always displayed the perfect picture of innocence when he asked about them. They had to be around here somewhere. He had looked in every cabinet and drawer, but he couldn't find the pack.

Chibs briefly considered digging through his bags to find the pack he had brought with him from California, but quickly vetoed that idea. He would be fine without. It was fucking cold, and he had a warm bed and a gorgeous wife waiting for him a room away. He tossed the empty water bottle in the trash and headed off back down the hall. After he quickly adjusted the thermostat, desperate for a little more warmth, he started down the hall once again. He walked passed Kerrianne's room before pausing and turning back. He quietly opened the door to his daughter's room, careful not to wake her.

Her bedroom had recently been painted a dazzling purpleshade, and the color was so very her that it made him laugh a little. There were more pictures in here, of her and her friends, and even one of him. He felt honored to have made her wall. In between the pictures there were posters advertising movies and bands he had never heard of. It was the bedroom of a typical, well-adjusted teenage girl, and for that he was thankful. Her bed stood in the middle on the room, the white wooden frame contrasting with the neon green striped bed quilt covering her sleeping form. She was sprawled across the bed, headphones still in her ears and iPod resting on the pillow next to her. Her mouth was hanging open and there were soft snores filling the room. She had kicked her blanket halfway off and her left foot was off the bed, her sock barely hanging on for dear life. He smiled softly and covered her again with the quilt before leaving the room again, shutting the door behind him.

Chibs walked back in the hall and made his way towards the other bedroom, where his sleeping wife lay waiting for him. He opened the door and was surprised to find out that he was wrong. His wife was not where he left her, curled on her side, head resting on the pillow. Instead, she was sitting up in bed, leaning against the head board. Her eyes were tired, but she smiled at him.

"There you are," she said softly, reaching out to take his hand. "I woke up and you weren't here. Not a nice thing to do to your wife who just got you back a few hours ago."

"I'm sorry, Love," he told her, truly regretting that he had worried her. "Just needed a drink. And a smoke. Couldn't find the ones you have hidden, though."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied with an airy, innocent tone. "Come back to bed. It's got to be cold out there."

He grinned and nodded, "It is."

Chibs moved around towards his side of the bed, but before he could climb back in, she stopped him, "Leave the sweatshirt."

"This from a woman who just pointed out how cold it was?" he asked with a smirk, but unzipped the hoodie anyway.

"No worries, Filip," she assured him. "I'll keep you warm. Besides, I like you better without it."

He tossed the offending garment over the chair in the corner and got into bed quickly, because despite the fact that he had turned the heat up, it really was fucking cold. She kept her promise and wrapped her arms around him pulling him close to her and running a hand through his hair.

"Better now?" she asked from inches away. He nodded and she made a pleased sound. "Good. Did you go check on our girl?"

He laughed lightly, amazed at just how well she knew him. "Aye, she's sound asleep. Snoring even."

"She gets that from you," Fiona insisted smartly.

"Liar," he shot back, lightly tickling her side. "That comes from you, and you know it."

She laughed, but shot him a warning glare. She was horribly ticklish and he knew that if he continued, she would retaliate and since he was just as ticklish as her, that would not be a good thing, so he stopped straight away. On the upside, her laughing fit had brought her even closer to him, which was never a bad thing. His hand rested lightly on her lower back, while hers continued moving through his hair.

"Your hair's getting long," she commented, gently tugging on a lock of it.

"Aye, just a bit," he agreed. "I have been so busy that I haven't had time to get it cut."

"I can trim it for you a bit later, if you like," she told him, bringing back memories from ages ago, of Sunday afternoons spent in kitchen chairs, when she was the only person he trusted to cut his hair.

"I would like, very much," he agreed, pressing a soft kiss against her lips, because he just couldn't stand to not be kissing her anymore.

"You tired, Love?" Fiona asked after breaking the kiss, her lips only millimeters away from his.

"Not at all," he replied, quite honestly. "It's midafternoon in my part of the world."

"That's right, it is," she said, he lips stretching into a smile of her own. "You know, we have another hour or so until we have to get Kerrianne up for school."

"Is that right?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"It is," she told him, matter of factly. "Can you think of anything that could occupy our time for just over an hour?"

"I could think of quite a few ideas, actually," he told her, his mind racing and his body already reacting to the thoughts. "Want to hear about any of them?"

She leaned her head back and laughed. The sound of her laughter always had an effect on him, and he just couldn't get over how fucking lucky he was to be here with her again. She looked back at him, her eyes alight with happiness and more than a hint of playful. She shook her head.

"No," she told him with a coy smile. "I don't want to hear anything about your ideas." She pressed her lips against his for a long, indulgent kiss that excited the hell out of him, before she broke it off and leaned close to him and whispered the last bit in her ear. "Show me."

And so for the next hour, he did exactly that.


	7. Adjusting

**Hey! I am sorry about the lack of a new chapter on Thursday. Friday was my birthday and it has been a kind of crazy week. Sticking to an update schedule for this story has been kind of difficult, so from here on out, I will be updating as I write. That may be once a week, or it may be more or it may be less. Throw this story on alert of you want to make sure to keep up to date. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the chapter! Leave a review, yeah? Thanks!**

Tess huffed out a sigh as she filed through yet another stack of paperwork. The office at Teller Morrow was not spacious and comfortable, and every flat surface was covered with stacks of paperwork that hadn't even been looked through in what appeared to be weeks. There did not seem to be any real rhyme or reason to the so called filing system, and the computer dated back to approximately 1988. It was nearly enough to make her want to scream. Opie had warned her that the job would be a bit old school, but this was nearly prehistoric. Honestly, it was like a bunch of motherless children had been left in charge of the office, and now it was up to her to work it out.

It was only her first day of work and she very nearly threw in the towel when trying to read an invoice that looked as if it had been handwritten by a drunk toddler. She tossed the paper work down to the desk and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and reminding herself of the reasons she was glad she took this job. They paid well, for one. There wasn't a single job she had looked at in the past few months that paid $20 an hour for such easy work. Opie had explained that she would be allowed the freedom to pick her own hours. They didn't care when she came in or when she left, just as long as she got her work done. Charming was a nice town and the rent was cheap, so she would be able to live comfortably between her paycheck and her savings. Last but not least, the guys had all been very welcoming and were treating her well. Overall, she was adjusting well and really, she didn't have anything to complain about.

"Hey, Tess," came Opie's voice from the doorway. "Do you have the invoice for the Mazda? The red one? DogBoy is done with it."

"Yes sir, it's somewhere in this pile, hang on," she said as she dug through a stack on the desk. "Here it is. I'm really sorry about this mess. It's getting better in here, I swear. It just doesn't look like it."

She handed the paper work over and Opie took it, glad that it wasn't him digging through the stack. She smiled wearily as she handed it over. "Thanks Tess, and don't call me sir."

"Ha, yeah, okay," she replied with a blush. "I'm sorry, I forgot."

"It happens," he said with a small smile. "Have you taken a lunch yet?"

"Oh, no, I haven't. There is a ton of stuff to do here, and I'm not really hungry anyway," she told him with a shrug.

Opie sighed, and pointed to the posted OSHA guidelines by the door. "The law is the law Tess, and around here, we ALWAYS follow the law. Take a break. Shit, go get a beer, look around a bit, I don't care. You've been sitting in that chair too long."

She rolled her eyes and looked at him, doing her very best to convince him that she was fine. He stared back at her, not budging even a little. Tess knew that she shouldn't be challenging her boss, but this was definitely a light hearted exchange, and she and Opie got along relatively well. They continued the stare down until the phone rang, and she raised her eyebrows.

"Please excuse me, sir," she said with a grin. "I have to get that."

She picked up the phone and in an overly polite tone said, "Thank you for calling Teller-Morrow. How may I help you?"

"Christ, this must be Tess! Nobody else would be so damned polite," she heard a thick brogue from the other end of the line.

"Oh, hi. This is Chibs, right?" she asked, slightly embarrassed now.

"Of course it is," he replied. "How's the job treating you? Everybody being nice?"

"The job is a mess, but everybody is being great," she told him. He responded with a laugh, and she couldn't help but smile herself. "How is Ireland?"

"It's cold, but bloody fantastic," he replied, a grin in his voice.

"That's good," she replied, glad to hear that he was having a good time on his trip. "I suppose that you didn't call here to talk to me."

"No, I didn't, though it was nice," he replied, showing his charm. "Is Op around?"

"Yeah, he's right here," she told him. "Have a fun trip and stay warm!"

She handed the phone over to Opie, who pointed out the door, once again indicating that she was supposed to take a break now. She smiled and grabbed her purse before heading out, not really sure where she was going. She truly wasn't hungry and she didn't have any place she needed to go. She noticed an empty picnic table over on the other side of the garage that looked welcoming. She pulled the paperback book from her purse and headed over, figuring that if she couldn't work, at least she could read for a while. She made herself comfortable at the table and opened the book, eager to delve further into the romance between a tough as nails lady cop and an innocent until proven guilty possible criminal.

Tess had made it through nearly an entire chapter when a hand fell on her shoulder, causing her to jump halfway to the moon and swing her purse around as hard and as fast as possible, connecting solidly with whoever was behind her.

"What the fuck?!" she heard a strangled male voice from behind her. "Jesus, Tessie. Can't a guy come have a smoke next to you without getting his nuts caved in?"

She turned quickly to find Kozik behind her, bent over in pain, cigarette hanging from his lips. Tess immediately jumped up from her seat at the picnic table, praying to God that she wouldn't be fired for physically assaulting one of her bosses.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, fretting over the blonde man in front of her. "I'm so sorry! I was reading and I was just really engrossed and distracted and I had no idea it was you! You just surprised me!"

"Yeah," he said, his voice still strained, "I get that."

"Okay, well what can I do?" she asked. "Do you want me to get you some ice?"

"For my dick? No thanks. I just need to sit for a minute," he told her, terrified at the thought of putting an ice pack anywhere south of his belt.

"Yeah, come on, sit down," Tess urged him, moving her stuff off the bench and letting the man sit. "I'm really sorry."

"I'll bet you are," he said, managing a small smile. "Do you hit all the boys who try to sit by you in the crotch, or am I just special?"

"Well, you certainly are special," she replied dryly. "If I had known it was you, I would have swung harder."

He laughed and nodded, taking a drag from his smoke. "I think you swung hard enough, really."

"Yeah, I guess so," she agreed. "Are you okay though? Really?"

"Of course I am, I've been hit harder than that before. I will live," he smiled from next to her, bumping her lightly in the shoulder. "You know that you do owe me, though."

"Oh, do I?" she asked, already skeptical about where this conversation was headed. "And what exactly do I owe you?"

"I figure that you nearly annihilated my dick, so the least you could do is kiss it and make it better,"Kozik said with a completely straight face.

Tess tried really hard to maintain her composure, but she couldn't help it when her mouth dropped open. Had she really just been sexually harassed at her new place of employment by a man she barely knew? Well, she sure as hell was not in Kansas anymore.

"Well…you…and me…that…" she stuttered for a moment. "NO!"

His straight face just couldn't hold up and his laughter exploded. She supposed that the look on her face was pretty ridiculous, but was his level of laughter really necessary? Probably not. As much as she possibly liked this man, as much as she was sorry for hitting him, she certainly did not like to be laughed at. Her shocked expression must have become haughty very quickly, because he soon stopped laughing and threw an arm around her shoulder.

"I was kidding, calm down," he told her, squeezing her shoulder once before getting up from the table. "I will come to collect on that favor, though, when you least expect it."

As he walked away, Tess tried to stop herself from staring at his ass, but she couldn't. When he disappeared from view, she buried her head in her hands and groaned. So much for her great first day.

"I'll call you after the meet brother," Chibs said into the phone as his eyes followed his wife around the room. "Give the guys my best."

As Opie assured him that his greetings would be passed on, Chibs said goodbye and hung up the phone, turning his full attention back to the woman in front of him. She stood behind the wooden chair, a pair of scissors in hand, and nodded at him, pointing to the chair. He smiled at her, taking her obvious hint to sit down. It had been a long time, but he remembered this well.

"Shirt off," she demanded, tugging lightly at the offending fabric. She may have pretended that it was completely necessary to the haircutting process, but Chibs was almost sure she just wanted him topless. He leaned forward and pulled the shirt over his head and quickly tossed it aside, before leaning back again and smiling up at her.

"Better?" he asked.

"Much," she replied. Her hands dropped lightly on his shoulders and her fingers traced the skin there. He leaned back against her stomach and rested his head, enjoying the sensation. He was comfortable in this old memory. She allowed it for a moment before running her hands through his too long hair. "Sit up now. We don't want to make this any more traumatic than it has to be."

"Traumatic? You haven't lost your touch with those scissors, have you Fi?" he asked as he quickly adjusted himself in the chair.

"I'm not sure, Love," she said with what he hoped was a lighthearted tone. "It's been ages since I've done this. Kerrianne hasn't let me trim her hair since age seven, and Jimmy always preferred to have a gay fellow uptown trim his."

Her scissors started working, and he fell silent. This was the first time she had brought up Jimmy at all in the past day or so since he arrived. On one hand, he was glad of it. She seemed to have gotten past that shit and was doing well. It did him good to see the light in her eyes again, to see her smile freely without the burden of Jimmy hanging over her. On the other hand, Chibs hadn't wanted to be the one to bring it up, and he wanted, needed, to tell her what had happened. She wasn't making that task any easier by not bringing it up.

"You didn't dream last night," he told her, figuring that it was at least an opening.

She hummed in response and continued snipping away as she replied, "I did, actually, but my dreams were much more vivid and pleasurable in nature."

He chuckled softly. Leave it to his wife to put his mind on sex in the middle of a haircut. The pieces of his hair fell to the floor all around him as she continued to work, and he was quiet once again. He was gathering his thoughts, collecting the words in his mind and working up the courage to say what needed to be said. It wouldn't be an easy conversation, but it was a necessary one.

Fiona surprised him by speaking up and immediately distracting him from his thoughts. "You know, I haven't heard a single word from him or about him. Since you and your boys left, there hasn't even been a whisper of Jimmy. "

"Did you expect there to be?" he asked, because he was honestly curious.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I didn't think he would ever stop. You know what he's like; what he's capable of. I always expected him to try to come back for us."

He sighed heavily. There was no denying the opening right here in front of him, and he couldn't let it pass. He had to tell her and he had to do it now.

"Fi, put the scissors down for a moment, Love," he said and he stood and turned to face her.

"What is it, Filip?" she asked, looking at him with genuine curiosity, not at all sure what he was about to say.

He walked over and took the scissors from her, gently leading her to sit in his recently vacated chair. He knelt down in front of her and rested his hands on her thighs, staring at her eye to eye, because he really needed to see her head on. She was beautiful as she looked at him, brown eyes wide and concerned. She trusted him completely, and he hoped that what he was about to tell her wouldn't shake that trust.

"He's dead, Fiona," he told her, his voice barely above a whisper. "Weeks ago, just after we got back to Charming, we tracked him down in California, before he was able to make the jump out of country, and I made sure that he would never come after you or our daughter ever again. He's dead, Fi, and he's never coming back. You're safe."

For a moment there was no expression at all, and he didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. She leaned back in her chair, but her eyes stayed on him, and he really wished that she would react; that she would give him some sort of indication of what she was thinking or feeling. He knew her well, knew that it could take her some time to process thing, but he needed something, anything from her.

She didn't disappoint. When she spoke, her voice was a breathy whisper. "Dead?" she asked.

He didn't answer her with words, but nodded instead. She was quiet for another moment before she spoke again, her words more firm this time. "Tell me that he wouldn't have stopped. Tell me that if he was alive, he would have hurt us and that there was no other way to keep our family safe," she asked him.

"You know he would have come for you, Fi. There was no way he would have just left well enough alone and let us be. He would have been back for you and for Kerri, and I just couldn't let that happen," he told her, begging her to understand.

She continued to stare, but her eyes were changing now. They were softer, and full of understanding. She nodded and slowly leaned forward wrapping her arms around his bare shoulders and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you for keeping us safe, Filip," she whispered as she hugged him close.

His arms found themselves around her as held her against him, glad to finally have the truth out in the open. There was nothing left separating them anymore, and he was glad; glad that she knew him inside out and still wanted to be here, holding him in her kitchen.

Of course their embrace was short lived as the door flew open to reveal Kerrianne standing there, looking at them in confusion from behind a black eye and a split lip. The family stood immobile for a moment, two adults surrounded by hair and wrapped up in one another, and one teenager not quite sure what she was walking into. None of them could quite process what was happening.

Kerrianne was the first to break out of the trance. "Da, what the hell happened to your hair?" she asked.

"Kerrianne, what the hell happened to your eye?" Fiona shot back without missing a beat.

Both Kerrianne and Chibs spoke at the same moment, saying "It's a long story."

Chibs rolled his eyes and allowed himself to laugh along with his wife and daughter, knowing that regardless of the difficult conversations that needed to happen, there was nowhere in the entire world that he would rather be than right here.

"Come here, Love," he said, not managing to hide his happiness. "You need some ice for your face, and then you need to explain that long story."


	8. Surprises

**Here is the latest chapter! HUGE thanks to those of you who are reviewing and favoriting and following. It makes me happy, so I really do thank you. Think is kind of a monster chapter. I really didn't mean for it to be so long, but I couldn't find a decent place to split it, so there you go. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy it, and I would love it if you would take a moment to review. Thanks! 3**

Chibs walked into the nave of the church, knowing the familiar layout like the back of his hand, but feeling incredibly uncomfortable anyway. He saw the others, the men he was set to meet with, towards the front of the church, but he took his time to make his way over. It had already been a fucking long day and he wanted to be home with his wife and kid, but this was where he had to be right now. There was Club business that had to be taken care of, so that he could enjoy the rest of his trip here without worry.

He had spent the past hour and a half at the dean's office of his daughter's school. He had barely managed to keep a straight face as the entirely too serious young man explained to him and Fiona, a member of an outlaw biker gang and an IRA affiliated woman, that 'physical violence is not an appropriate way to solve problems'. It had been fucking ridiculous, because of course neither of them wanted their daughter street brawling, and this dean really didn't have any tangible solutions to offer, so it was basically a huge waste of time.

Neither he nor Fiona knew what the hell to do with Kerrianne. They had tried everything; talking to her, threatening her, bribing her, and begging her. The biggest issue was that neither of them could argue with her reasoning for beating fellow children half to death every other day. It's not like either of them were the peace loving, anti-violence sort. He had always been prone to allowing his fists to handle any issues, and Fiona could fight with the best of them. It was impossible for them to tell her to control her temper when both of them would fly off the handle when placed in a similar situation. Weeks ago, his SAMBEL connections had dispatched a couple of young Prospects from her school to watch over her, but it seemed to him like his daughter actually rather enjoyed fighting. At least he knew she came by it honest.

Literally the only solution he would think of was to bring it up with these men he was about to meet with. He was, by no stretch of the imagination, a fan of the IRA, but they had pull and they induced a level of fear in these Irish school children to handle this situation before it got out of control. In this part of the world, the IRA controlled everything from the government to the actions of school children. Hopefully, with the deal he was about to finalize with them, they would be pleased enough to deal with the situation from their end.

The men gathered at the front of the church took notice of him as he approached. Seamus Ryan, the current SAMBEL President, was there along with his VP. Their black leather stood out in stark contrast to the sleek suits and ties of most of the other men, and Chibs really missed his own cut. He felt firmly out of place here in jeans and a t-shirt and sweater, but it was the best he could do. He was surprised to see several police officers there as well. It was good to know that the IRA was making an effort to reach out to the cops. Ryan was the first to make his way over.

"Good to see you, brother," he said. "Glad that you arrived safe and all."

"You too," he said, hugging the smaller man. "Everybody here?"

"Aye, we were just waiting on you," Ryan replied.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Chibs told him, loud enough for the others to hear. "Had an issue to work out at my girl's school."

"Well, you're here now, that's all that matters," the smiling face of an older man sounded from behind Ryan. It took a moment, but Chibs was a bit shocked to recognize the man as his high school Chemistry teacher and coach.

"Mr. McCormick?" he asked, making no effort to hide his amazement.

He got a hearty laugh in response. "Good God, my boy! You passed my class nearly thirty years ago now. I think that it's safe to call me David."

Regardless of what the man said, Chibs knew that there was zero chance he would ever think of the man as anything other than Mr. McCormick. His teenage self had never known that this man was affiliated with the IRA, but he probably should have. Nearly everybody around here was affiliated, in one way or another. But still, this was the man who used to ramble on about compound substances while Chibs was busy staring at Fiona. This was the man who once intercepted a not even close to appropriate note passed between the two, and had mercy enough to not read it to the class. This was the man who had instead punished him by making him run endless laps after school.

"Yeah, okay, I…" he started about three times, before just coming right to the question. "What the hell are you doing here, Mr. McCormick?"

"I'll be taking over some of the responsibilities held by Father Ashby, God rest him," the other man replied. "His shoes will be difficult to fill, but we will all do what needs to be done."

"David is being modest," Ryan spoke up. "He's really stepped up and saved all our arses."

"You're in a church, young man. Show some respect," Mr. McCormick scolded, just as well as he ever did. He raised his voice a bit, so that those gathered could hear him. "I think we should all head in. We have quite a bit to discuss."

They all moved toward the back of the church, the older man resting a hand on his shoulder. "Make sure you stay after the meeting. We have a lot to catch up on, son."

* * *

"How are things going at the shop?" Gemma asked, with every air of making casual conversation, but Opie was smart enough to know that the question was anything but casual. He knew that she was feeling the strain of this house arrest, and the knowledge that everything was running smoothly without her would definitely sting. Gemma was not the kind of woman to bruise easily, but at the same time, she needed to feel important; needed to know that she was missed.

He chose his words carefully when he answered. "Things are okay. Not the same without you and the guys, though."

"Yeah, I am guessing things are a little quiet over there," Gemma agreed, appearing soothed for the moment. Opie didn't bother to point out that things were generally a lot more peaceful when it was quiet. "Is the new girl working out okay?"

"Yeah, she is doing good. Still trying to learn the ropes. She accidentally punched Kozik in the balls the other day," Opie reported with a hint of a smile. Gemma, on the other hand, didn't stop with a smile.

"I knew that there was a reason I liked her," she laughed.

Opie silently nodded his agreement. The fact was, things were going great at the shop. Tess had really been making some progress and was keeping things in the office running smoothly enough that he could stick to handling the garage, which was what he was good at. The crow eaters were mostly gone, and that meant that the old ladies were happy. The mechanics were able to get more hours with the guys on the inside, which meant more money in their pockets, so there were smiles on their faces as well.

They were feeling light on members in the Club house, especially with Chibs gone too, but they had a few new Prospects that they had patched in to keep things running smoothly. There were a group of four Nomads that had arrived to help out while Chibs was in Ireland, and they were managing to make themselves useful around the Clubhouse; so useful that Opie wasn't sure he wanted to lose them all when Chibs came back. He was getting used to having the extra help. Kozik was committed to staying on in Charming, but Opie knew soon he was going to have to press the man for a patch over. They would need an extra, voting member at the table eventually.

"I want to do dinner," Gemma surprised him, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Gem, it's barely nine in the morning. Are you sure you don't want a bagel or something instead?" he asked, not quite comprehending her request, and frankly a bit worried for her sanity.

She shot him a withering look and shook her head. "I don't want dinner, I want _a_ dinner. A family dinner."

"Oh," he said, finally seeing her meaning clearly. She wanted a Gemma dinner; a massive ordeal with food, family, and generally a few fist fights. "I don't know, Gem. Chibs is gone and it doesn't feel right. There aren't many of us left. We have so much going on. I'm just not sure it's the best time."

"Too bad," she replied with steel in her voice. "I promise that Chibs is eating just fine where he is right now. There are enough of us left to have one damn dinner together. Just the family; us and Tara and the boys and Lila and the kids. Kozik and Piney and Wayne and Chuckie, too. And Tess. It can be a kind of welcome dinner for her. There will be enough of us."

Opie sighed. He could definitely understand where she was coming from. Being alone here, all the time, was definitely not easy on any woman, much less a woman like Gemma. She wanted those she loved around here, and he really couldn't fault her for that.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed, somewhat reluctantly. He had enough sense to know that there was no way he was getting out of this one. He doubted that any of the guys could argue with Gemma or deny her something that she so obviously wanted. "When?"

She instantly gave him a satisfied grin. "Tonight."

"Tonight?" he asked, one eyebrow raised, just to clarify he was hearing her right.

"Tonight. No reason not to. Send one of the Prospects to do the shopping? And ask Lila if she will help me cook?" Gemma asked, the completely innocent smile on her face daring him to disagree.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied immediately, standing from the table to leave and kissing her on the cheek, before she talked him in to anything else.

"Love you, Op," she called as he got near the door to leave.

"Love you too, Ma," he answered the familiar sentiment as he left, already wondering how he would talk Lila and the rest of the guys into this.

* * *

It was long after dark by the time Chibs made his way home that night. The meeting had gone on for hours as they worked to iron out details and to who would get what guns and when and where. Galen O'Shay, who Chibs had actually known for years, had risen up to taken Jimmy's place, and he sincerely hoped that things would work better with him than they had with Jimmy. If there was one thing that Chibs knew for sure, it was that he was getting too damned old for that kind of relationship.

He had stayed for quite a while following the meeting to catch up with Ryan and Mr. McCormick. He had still not gotten over the shock of seeing his former teacher running things in the IRA. The man had filled him in on the past thirty years while pouring him drink after drink. It had surprised Chibs to find that the man had kept tabs on him through the years. Really, he just hadn't ever suspected that his teacher liked him that much.

Another thing that surprised Chibs was the fact that Mr. McCormick was still a teacher. In fact, the old man taught science classes every Wednesday at Kerrianne's school. This fact made his job of asking for assistance much, much easier. His former teacher assured him that the situation involving Kerrianne and her school mates would be handled immediately. Chibs was really not sure what to think about having an IRA shot caller watching over his daughter, but he had asked for help quelling the situation, and this was what he had got. Besides, there was something that told him to trust the other man.

He probably should have been home a couple of hours ago, and he really hoped that Fiona would understand. This was the last bit of official Club business that he needed to handle, and he was free to spend the rest of his time here in Ireland with his wife and his daughter. Hopefully, that knowledge would be enough to calm whatever anger she was feeling as a result of him missing dinner and coming home halfway down the road to drunk.

Luckily, the lights were still on when he arrived at the flat, which meant that his girls were still awake. He entered and immediately saw Kerrianne was curled up in the easy chair, afghan pulled up to her chin, emitting soft snores every so often. He cracked a smile before his eyes shifted. He found Fiona curled up on the couch under a blanket, her sleepy eyes focused on the television. She was dressed in one of his old t-shirts and her hair was pulled up, but random curls were escaping here and there, and he just stopped and stared at her for a moment because he was pretty sure he had never seen anybody as unyieldingly gorgeous and sexy in his entire life.

"You're home," she said softly, and there wasn't anger in her voice, and for that he was glad.

"Aye," he told her with a smile, still not moving any closer. "You girls okay?"

"We're fine, just sleepy," she explained, raising her arms to stretch, before reaching her hand out to him, indicating that she wanted him closer. "We missed you at dinner. Didn't save you any, though."

"It's okay," he told her, stripping his sweater and toeing his boots off. He didn't want to make her wait even a second, if he could help it. She pulled back her blanket and allowed him to join her on the couch. She curled against him and looked up expectantly, her big brown eyes telling him that he had better kiss her, and quick.

The kiss was electric, and of course it was interrupted by a grunt from the still sleeping Kerrianne. He groaned and threw his head back as Fiona laughed, resting her cheek against his chest. "She has developed a talent for interrupting really excellent kisses lately, hasn't she?"

"She really has," he admitted, wrapping an arm around his wife. "Has she been okay tonight?"

"Oh yes," Fiona told him with a note of pride in her voice. "She was just so happy to do each and every chore I asked her to do. With a smile on her face, even!"

Fiona did sarcasm well, and it made him feel guilty as hell. "I'm sorry I wasn't here, Darlin."

"Wasn't your choice," she brushed off his apology. "I'm just glad you're here now. Did you take care of things with the Club?"

"I did," he nodded. "Had a few surprises, but everything went smoothly."

"What kind of surprises?" she asked, a note of worry in her voice. He should have known that she would ask and he had never been able to keep much from her.

"You remember Mr. McCormick?" he asked, and when she nodded, he proceeded to explain the entire bizarre evening to her, leaving out as much of the Club and the actual business of the situation as he could.

"That's…hilarious," she concluded with a grin, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "Remember when you used to get caught staring at me in class, like the overeager teenage boy you were, and he would make you stay after school and run laps while you recited the Perodic Table?"

"I remember alright," he nodded, used to her teasing. "Vividly. And remind me of something…who was it who always stayed and watched me run all of those laps?"

"Couldn't have been me," she said firmly. "I was far, far too honorable to be caught in the bleachers staring at a sweaty, shirtless boy."

"Were you also too honorable for what happened behind the bleachers when I was done?" he asked innocently, and deftly dodged the smack aimed at his head.

"You're awful," she proclaimed, shaking her head.

"I am," he agreed. "But you love it. It's part of my charm."

"Is that what you call it?" she asked with a grin. She glanced over to make sure their banter hadn't woken Kerrianne. When she was sure that their girl was still asleep, she turned her attention back to him and continued in a low voice. "So speaking of what happened behind those bleachers…what do you say we head to bed? Maybe relive that memory?"

His eyebrows shot up, because it was a really, really good memory and he was far from a fool. He was off the couch quicker than he thought possible and headed towards the bedroom, wondering how the hell he had ever gotten lucky enough to deserve this night, this woman, this family, or this life.

* * *

Opie pulled into the Club house parking lot and was glad to see Lila's car here amongst the others. He parked his bike and climbed off, knowing that he should go check in with Tess and make sure that the garage was still running, or check in with his Pops and make sure the Club was running. He didn't do either of those things, though. Instead, he avoided the garage area and made his way into the Club house, where he found Lila shooting a round of pool with one of the Prospects.

"Head out," he told the new guy, Ratboy, who scampered off, true to his name. Lila turned and smiled at him.

"You ran off my opponent," she scolded him, only half kidding. "You know that you have to take his place now, right?"

"Yeah, I will," he glanced down at the table. "We'll see if I can clean up this mess he left me."

"You can't," she assured him with a wide smile. Really, she didn't care if she won or not. Just the fact that he was here, with her, was enough to make her happy.

"And if I do?" he challenged her. "What do I win?"

"Whatever you want," the teasing words left her lips before she even knew it. It was a line she had said many times, in many films, and her tone immediately fell into porn star mode. She knew that Op was not comfortable with her work and really, really wanted her to quit, and she tried to not rub her job in his face.

He looked at her, his eyes serious, and asked, "Do you mean that? Anything I want?"

She was taken aback for a moment, knowing that Opie's opinion on porn had not changed that dramatically in the past few days. She nodded cautiously, and reiterated, "Anything."

He smiled, "Let's play, then."

They began the game, taking shot after shot. While they played, they talked. It had been a long time since they had taken time to just…be together. They talked about the kids and joked around with one another. Lila reveled in the time spent with Op, and by the time she looked down to see that she had clearly been beaten, she had almost forgotten the hesitation concerning her promise.

"Cleaned up," Opie commented proudly. "You really should get around here and practice more, Li."

She laughed. "Oh yeah, I will bring all three kids. I am sure that a lot will get accomplished."

"You could, you know," he told her, wanting to make sure she knew he was serious. "Bring the kids I mean. Chuckie and Tess and everybody here could help, if you needed it."

"I know, Op," she said, trying to hide the emotion in her voice. It made her happier than she wanted to admit that he wanted her to come around more; that he wanted to take care of her. "Maybe I will."

"Good," he said with a nod. She laid down her stick and approached him, her hands clutching each side of his cut.

"So," she asked him, biting her lip as she looked up at him. "What do I owe you?"

His hands went automatically to her hips as he bent to kiss her, taking just a moment to enjoy her lips against his before he broke the kiss. "Remember, you said anything I want," he reminded her.

"Out with it," Lila demanded, her eyes narrowing.

"Gemma wants to do a dinner tonight," he admitted, not letting go of her hips and literally begging with his eyes for her to not get mad.

Her shoulders fell and she looked more than slightly deflated. She should have known that whatever he wanted, it wasn't really her. "She wants me to help?"

Opie nodded, and pulled her a little closer. "It's just family, so it won't be huge. The kids can come. Everybody can eat and play and stuff. It shouldn't be bad. We don't have to stay forever. I think she just wants the company."

It looked to Opie like the gears were turning in Lila's head. Her eyes narrowed slightly and when she replied, it was almost a challenge. "I don't mind helping, if one of the Prospects can pick up the kids and bring them. I will do it, on one condition."

Opie couldn't believe that he had lucked out and was going to possibly get through this without a fight. "What's that?"

"I will go and help and be nice to everybody, but if I do, you have to come home with us tonight," she demanded.

He really had a hard time believing that her only condition was…sex. Lila was working her ass off for him and his kids lately, and literally the only thing she wanted was one night with him at home. He could do that much for her. He grinned at him and pulled her even closer. "I think I can do that."

She lit up like a kid at Christmas. "Yeah?"

He leaned down and kissed her again, glad that things were working out for them, "Yeah."


	9. A Family Dinner

**Hi Guys! Here is chapter nine! I am really sorry for the delay in posting, real life and work and whatnot had been insane lately, so that got in the way a bit. That being said, I am really happy with this chapter and I hope you enjoy it. You can finally get a little background on thew new office girl. :-) I will do my very best to post again in the next few days. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and PLEASE let me know what you think!**

Warm light flowed into the kitchen, casting a homey glow over the occupants. The aroma of simmering sauce mixed with the strong garlic scent coming from the bread, filling the house with the most delectable fragrance. She could hear Lila and Tara chatting casually as they made a salad, along with the cacophony created by her grandson on the floor, occupying himself by banging on her pots and pans with a wooden spoon. Her finger, dipped easily in the sauce and then straight to her mouth, told her that it was perfectly seasoned and ready to eat. She smiled as she looked around at the kitchen, the porn star and the doctor bitch working happily side by side while a baby in a SAMCRO hat played on the floor. It was like a Norman Rockwell painting from hell. Gemma really wouldn't have it any other way.

"When is everybody supposed to be here?" she asked again, unwilling to admit that she was anxious but feeling it nonetheless.

"Soon," Lila answered. "The Prospect will be back with the kids any minute, and the garage closed an hour ago, so the rest of them should be here before long."

"How many are we expecting, again?" Gemma asked as she started to count out plates. Some people would use paper plates, but this was her family coming tonight, and paper plates were just not going to cut it. Besides, one of the Prospects would do the dishes, so what did she care?

"Let's see," Tara began to list. "You, me, Abel, Lila, Opie, the three kids. Chibs is in Ireland, so he is out. The Nomads are in Oakland tonight, so don't count them either. Kozik, Piney, Chuckie, Unser and three of the Prospects. That makes…15?"

"Oh, and don't forget Tess!" Lila piped up. "Tess will make sixteen of us."

"Oh Tess is coming?" Tara asked with a smile. "Good. That will give me more of a chance to talk to her. I have been so tired lately that I haven't made much of an effort."

"That's because you're knocked up," Gemma pointed out casually. "Tellers are exhausting."

Tara opened her mouth to retort, but just then the kitchen was invaded by three new children and one very large man. Piper ran excitedly up to his mother and wrapped his arms around her legs. Lila managed to stay upright, used to having children underfoot. Kenny and Ellie hovered by the door, nervous about being in a relatively unfamiliar house. They knew that this was Gemma's house and Gemma was a friend of their Dad's and all the other bikers would be around tonight, and that made them even more nervous.

"Hey guys," Lila smiled as she untangled herself from Piper. "How was school?"

"It was okay," Ellie replied, and Kenny nodded along. "My friends liked my hair."

"Of course they did," Gemma said, as she approached the children and hugged them. "It looks great. Did your Mom do that?"

She realized her mistake a second too late. Ellie looked at her as if she had lost her mind and shook her head. It was Kenny who answered. "Our mom is dead. Lila did her hair. And it does look really pretty."

All of the adults in the room stood and stared slack jawed at the children. Kenny had spoken in such a matter of fact way about his mother that they were all kind of stunned. Gemma's eyes were shut in a look of pure mortification. Tara was looking at the children with pity in their eyes. Lila, however, just sighed heavily.

"She knows that, Sweetie," Lila explained, ruffling Kenny's hair. "She just made a mistake. It happens sometimes."

Kenny nodded, indicating that he understood, and after a moment Ellie smiled up at Lila. "Can you do my hair like this again tomorrow?"

"Maybe even better than that," Lila agreed quickly, glad that the awkward moment seemed to be behind them. "Why don't you kids see if you can help Mr. Phil set the table, okay? We will be eating as soon as your dad and the rest get here."

"I've got the forks!" Ellie shouted, eager to be helpful. Kenny dashed after her to grab the knives off the counter, handing Piper the spoons.

"I'll race you!" he said to Piper as they hurried to leave the kitchen.

"Kenneth Jackson Winston!" Lila shouted instantly. "Don't you dare run with knives! Chibs isn't here to fix you if you manage to stab yourself!"

"I will make sure he is fine," Filthy Phil spoke up, grabbing the massive stack of plates off the counter and following the children into the dining room.

"I could fix him, you know," Tara said, slightly offended that she had been overlooked. "If he managed to stab himself with the cutlery. It is kind of my job, you know."

"Oh, I know," Lila told her. "Kenny just likes Chibs a lot. Apparently, he tells good stories and talks funny."

"Ah," Tara smiled. "I'll work on my accent. You seem to be doing pretty well at this whole instant Mommy thing."

"Well, I have had a hell of a lot of practice," Lila replied, not completely able to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "Op has been really busy, so he isn't around much."

She shrugged it off, but the other women could tell it was wearing on the woman. "Well," Gemma cut in. "At least he isn't in prison."

Tara let out a snort of laughter in response, which caused Lila to giggle. Before anybody could contain it, the three women were overcome with laughter, clutching their sides and gasping for breath. It was completely inane and ridiculous, but it felt good for each of them to laugh. Gemma had been lonely here in the house with just the pictures on the walls for company. Tara had been walling herself off, barely managing to even go through the motions. Lila was drowning under the weight of three children and responsibilities and a career. This laughter was cleansing for them, a way to keep the tears at bay for another day.

Of course, the moment was ruined when Wayne Unser appeared in the doorway. "What's so funny?"

The women's eyes consulted each other before they burst into hysterical laughter again. Unser stared at them for a moment before shaking his head. _Women_, he thought, as he turned and left the room again.

* * *

An hour and a half later, most of the grownups were still sitting around the table. Unser and Piney had gone to the living room to watch the game. Phil and Chuckie were supervising the older kids as they played outside, and the other Prospects were on kitchen duty. Tara was staring longingly at the red wine Lila sipped from her glass while her hand rested on Opie's knee, and he was eyeing Lila with what could only be described as obvious interest. Gemma's eyes, however, rested on Tess, who was cradling a sleeping baby Abel. Nobody seemed to notice that Kozik's eyes were trained on the same thing.

"You got any kids of your own, Honey?" Gemma spoke up, the question coming out of nowhere, throwing Tess off guard. "You look awful comfortable holding that sweet baby boy."

"Oh hell no," Tess instantly responded. She liked kids well enough, when they were sleeping anyway, but the thought of being a mother herself literally made her break out in a cold sweat. "Absolutely not. No kids for me."

"That's a shame," Kozik smirked. "You and I would have some really great looking babies."

Everybody around the table cracked up, while Tess shot Koz a look of horror and disgust. She was already upset enough at him because he had insisted that he give her a ride to Gemma's house, without ever mentioning that he would be riding his bike. It took several minutes of triage in the bathroom for her hair to be saved that evening. He would not be getting off that easily.

"Gross," she muttered under her breath, but not really.

"Whatever," Kozik shrugged easily. "You know you want to."

"I really, really don't think she does, Kozik," Tara disagreed, shooting a somewhat pitying look at the man in question.

"She's right," Tess grinned. "That's Tara."

"No problem," the doctor smiled.

It looked like the conversation might veer off of Tess, but Gemma was not one to be easily put off. Tess had been around for a couple of weeks and everybody liked her and she was fitting in real well. Gemma wanted to like her too, but she needed to know exactly who she had brought in. "So no babies left behind in Garden Grove. What DID you leave behind?"

Opie muttered "Subtle" under his breath, while Tess sighed and shifted her weight in the chair, reaching for the beer in front of her.

"House. Parents. Brother. Dog," she shrugged. "The usual."

"Wow," Kozik spoke up unexpectedly. "Way to answer while giving us no information at all," Tess glared at him. "We're all friends here, just trying to get to know one another."

Tess sighed, "There just isn't much to know. Really."

"Bullshit," Gemma judged immediately. "You left Garden Grove, what I can only assume is a clean, cushy life, to settle in little old Charming, on your own, miles away from what you know. Smart girls don't just run away from nothing."

Tess smiled bitterly. "Oh but they do," she insisted. "That's exactly what I am running from. Nothing."

They all kind of stared at her blankly, and she rolled her eyes before continuing. "My parents have been married for forever. They still live in the same house that they bought right after they got married. My dad had worked or the same company his whole life. Before I moved here, I was still sleeping in the same bedroom that used to be my nursery. Everything in that world was…perfect. Just so perfect and plain and boring as hell. I mean, the dog is even named Spot. I guess I just woke up one day and could clearly see myself turning into my parents, and it scared the hell out of me. I had to get out. So…I came here."

Gemma's heart twinged. Apparently, she had more in common with this girl than she had realized. The things that Tess was running from were things that Gemma could relate to. Hell, if she didn't know any better, Gemma would think that Tess grew up in the same damn house she did.

"I feel that, Darlin," Gemma said, smiling grimly at the girl. "Sounds like a fun life."

Everybody laughed, and Tess relaxed just a bit, but Kozik was quick to bring back the tension. "I call bullshit," he spoke up.

"What?" Gemma and Tess asked at the same time. Nearly everybody sat up and paid attention to whatever was brewing here.

"Sorry, but I don't buy it," Kozik shrugged. "What, you just woke up one day and came to this sudden realization that you didn't want to grow old in suburbia? So you leave your entire life behind to come live here of all places? That just doesn't happen. You're leaving something out."

Tess tensed up. Everybody was staring at her now, and they all knew that the asshole was right. Her story didn't add up because, of course, she was leaving something out. She picked up her drink and downed half of it before shift the stirring baby.

"Of course I left something out," she said. "Can't a girl have any secrets?"

"Not around here, Sweetite," Gemma replied, raising an eyebrow.

"There is a guy," Tess admitted with a sigh. As much as she didn't want to talk about this, it would be a definite weight lifted from her shoulders. "Tim is his name."

"And what? He is a dangerous drug king pin?" Opie guessed with a smirk. "You stole his stash and hid it and now he's after his money?"

"Oh no," Tess grinned, but the grin was hiding something; some deep feelings that she was desperate to hide. "Worse. He's an Ivy League graduate with blue eyes and a killer smile. And the only thing he wants from me is my hand in marriage."

"Your hand in marriage?" Kozik repeated, eyebrows raised. He should have known that there was a guy already involved with her.

"Uh huh. He asked my father and everything," Tess answered, shaking her head.

"And you said no?" Gemma guessed, kind of intrigued by the story. An Ivy League guy with a salary to match it was hard for any suburbia raised girl to turn down.

"Well," Tess shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't really say much of anything. I told him I had to think about it. Then I packed up and left."

Opie let out a low whistle. "Hope he's not the waiting around type."

"Me too," Tess said shortly. She was well aware that everybody at this table was looking at her, judging her in one way or another, and she couldn't stand it. "Look, it isn't as simple as it sounds! Six months ago, I was in a car wreck. Like, a 'totaled my car and it's a miracle I am alive' kind of car wreck. I was in the hospital for a while, had a surgery, and was pretty much flat on my back for a few months. I had to quit my job because I couldn't work. Hell, I couldn't even bathe myself. And Tim was great. He came to my parents' house every day to 'take care' of me. He would read to me and walk the dog and sit on the couch and watch TV with my parents. I think it got a little…too easy for him to take care of me. He started ordering for me in restaurants and weird shit like that. Then, he and my parents decided that I probably wasn't ready to go back to work because I needed more time to recuperate and just relax. I was sick of relaxing! Somewhere in those six months, it was like my life stopped being my own and nobody cared. I saw him and my mother looking at real estate ads and throwing around words like 'family home' and 'good school districts', so I confronted him. That's when he proposed. I just…I freaked out. I couldn't stay there. So…I didn't."

Her eyes literally begged them to understand, to know that she wasn't a terrible person, but a good person who had had enough. Gemma sighed.

"I'll say you did. Ordering for you in restaurants? What is he, some Regan era Republican? I mean, who does that?" she asked in disbelief. She saw a glimmer of hope in Tess's eyes. "No, you were right to leave. You would have been a Stepford Wife in no time."

Tara and Lila were nodding along, and Tess was thrilled that at least they seemed to get it. Kozik was looking down, not managing to make eye contact, and Tess couldn't have read him if she tried.

"Do they know where you are?" Tara asked, curious as to how she could completely leave everything behind, just like that.

"No," Tess shook her head. "I call my parents once a week, collect, just to let them know I am okay. But they don't know where I am."

"And you are liking it here in Charming?" Opie asked, immediately feeling protective of the new girl that they had brought into the fold. She was one of their people and she was their responsibility. "Everybody is treating you alright?"

"Oh yeah," Tess nodded emphatically. "Thing are good. I like it here. It's just…"

"Just what?" Gemma pounced on the hesitation.

"After being constantly surrounded and hovered over, it's kind of weird to not have any family around at all, you know?" she replied, embarrassed by how vulnerable she sounded.

As if on cue, Abel choose that moment to wake up and stare at the relative strange holding him. He reached out a chubby hand and gripped a strand of Tess's hair, flashing a quick grin before promptly throwing up all over her. Within a matter of seconds, Tara had retrieved the vomiting baby, Lila was passing napkins, and Opie and Kozik were looking away and hiding laughter.

"Well Honey, don't worry," Gemma said with a smirk. "I think it's safe to say you're family now."


	10. More Adjusting

**Another chapter! I have an insane week ahead of me, and I wanted to get this chapter up before it started! I am hoping to update next weekend, so until then, thanks for reading and enjoy! Also, please review! Thanks! :-)**

The very first thing that Chibs did when he opened his eyes was check the clock on the side table. The hands reported that it was quarter after two, and he relaxed a moment, thanking his lucky stars that he had resisted the urge to keep his eyes closed and go back to sleep. The warm, naked body that was practically glued to his still slept soundly. He took the opportunity to bury his nose in Fiona's curls and inhale. Her hair was an absolute disaster, the curls atop her hand tangled by his own hands, but it smelled like heaven and he loved it. She smelled like apples, always like apples.

"Fi, wake up," he whispered, his mouth finding its way to just outside her ears as he tightened his arms around her.

She shifted slightly against him and told him, quite plainly, "No."

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. Of course she was going to be obstinate. It was one of the many, many things he loved about her.

"We've been asleep for quite a while. It's already quarter past two. Our girl is going to be home from school soon," he informed her, his voice teasing just enough to ensure that she would argue.

"She'll just come in and not even notice us gone and just put her headphones on and start her homework. We're probably fine to sleep until dinner," she insisted, burying her face in his shoulder.

He actually laughed. "Are we talking about the same daughter here? Tall, curly hair, pretty girl? Comes in the door bellowing 'Ma!' and 'Da!' and demanding food each and every day? That daughter?"

She grumbled and rolled on her back, dislodging the sheet that covered her and stretching her tired muscles, allowing him a view that he would store in the memory backs for a long, long time. She rolled back over and propped herself on one elbow.

"This is entirely your fault, you know," she said with confidence, poking him directly in the chest.

"How do you figure?" he asked, gazing up at her, a smile on his face.

"Well, first you got the girl used to actual cooking and having delicious snacks when she gets home from school," Fiona explained. "And then there you were this morning, all sweet smiles and subtle glances and casual touches, charming me out of my clothes and into bed. You wore me out, and even a nap didn't help much. So now, Kerrianne will be home soon, wanting a snack, and I am exhausted, so really, the entire situation is your fault."

"Would you rather I keep my hands to myself next time?" he asked, already knowing what her answer would be.

"Not a chance," she said with a grin, bending to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss, before pulling her to his chest and hugging her. She continued, "I can't believe you have to leave in a couple of days."

Chibs sighed. He had been actively avoiding thinking about the fact that he had to get on a plane and head back to Charming very soon. Over the past weeks, he had grown accustomed to being here, in their own little corner of the world where nobody existed except him and Fiona and Kerrianne. It would be a jarring adjustment to be back in the real world again.

"I know," he agreed softly, shifting in bed so that he faced her. "You will be okay here, when I go?"

She smiled, but without any real joy. There was no happiness she could conjure at the thought of her husband leaving, but it did warm her heart to see him concerned over her and their daughter.

"I don't know about okay, but I will manage until you can come back," she assured him, running her hands over his gruff face, remembering the smooth boyish skin that used to be there. At moments like these, she remembered just how long the two of them had been together, and it made her smile. If they had weathered this long, there was literally nothing that could get in their way, not even an ocean. "I'll miss you, though."

"Me too," he agreed in a hurry. This trip had been a blessed break from the day to day shit that was his life. He had spent every moment with his wife and his daughter and he really was going to miss it. He knew that the Club relied on him and needed him in Charming, but his heart really was in Ireland, right here, in this bed with this woman. "I will come back as soon as I can. We have some things to handle in Charming town, deals to be sorted and some actual work at the garage to do. But I'll be back."

"I know," she nodded. She knew that, while he loved being here, he felt such a strong responsibility to his brother back in California. He felt guilty being here, being happy, when they needed him. He had been burning the candle at both ends since the rest of the guys went inside, and sooner or later, she knew it would take a toll on him. "Maybe we can come visit you next time? Kerrianne had been asking a lot about Charming. Think that maybe it's time to let her see where her Da lives?"

"Yeah," he agreed, almost immediately. The thought of having his girls there, in Charming, was too good for him to resist. "You think she really wants to come?"

"Absolutely," Fiona lied. In truth, she had no idea how badly Kerrianne may or may not want to visit, but it didn't matter. The girl loved her Da, and Fiona knew that she wouldn't refuse a visit to see him, no matter how nervous she was about flying or leaving Ireland, even temporarily. "I will see when her school schedule would allow it. I want to come visit you; see where you have rested your head all these years. "

He smiled, "It's nothing spectacular, let me assure you. But I think it would be good if you both came. I'd like that."

"Hmmm," she returned his smile. "I'd like it if you kissed me."

"Who am I to deny you?" he asked, and immediately set upon the task at hand. Kissing her was definitely a luxury he would miss when he headed back to Charming, and so he planned to take full advantage of it while he could.

Just when he had managed to get to the good, hands in fun places part, they were interrupted by the door slamming open on the other end of the house. Chibs groaned and let his hands fall away from Fiona's irresistible body. She laughed as they both heard the chorus of, "Ma! Da! I'm home! I'm hungry!"

"I'll go head her off," Fiona said, climbing out of bed and gathering her clothing that had been thrown about the bedroom. "You….handle yourself and then get dressed. You're taking us out to dinner!"

* * *

Opie crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back in the little plastic chair and allowed his eyes to wander. Visiting hours at Stockton were never fun, but he had to wonder about some of the people gathered here to see those on the inside. They were easy to separate. There were older women, a worried and tired set to their faces. These were the mothers whose boys were on the inside; who fretted everyday over their health, their safety, and their souls. There were other women, younger in age, but the same facial expressions. Most of them had children with them, and looked anxious; almost as if they were waiting for somebody to judge them for bringing their children to a prison to see the men who had help create them. These were the wives. There were even younger women whose pants were tighter and whose shirts were smaller. These were the girlfriends, the ones who were quick to swear loyalty and throw around words like "forever" and "wait for you", but these were the same women who made eyes at him in the parking lot. Forever didn't really hold up in the face of words like "no parole".

It was almost funny to Opie that, every time he came here to visit, he was one of the only men. It would never occur to him to NOT go see one of the guys whenever he could, but for most of the men imprisoned here in Stockton, friendship probably stopped at the prison gate. That, at least, was an upside to being a part of SAMCRO. They were bound to one another, and loyalty ensured that, at the very least, they had somebody to come visit them in prison.

The loud buzzing sound indicated that prisoners were being lead in, and Opie looked up to see Jax being lead over. The guard uncuffed him and left to resume his post, and Op stood up, hugging his brother. Opie was surprised to see a completely new man standing in front of him. The long blonde hair, Jax's hallmark since middle school, was gone. In its place was a closely shaved new look, almost making Jax look younger. His eyes, however, showed his age and then some. The deep blue of the prison jumpsuit brought out Jax's eyes and stood in sharp contrast to the gray that surrounded them. Prison was beginning to take a toll on his friend.

"I like the new look," Opie said, reseating himself in the plastic chair. "Kind of an outlaw meets Wall Street vibe."

The sarcasm brought a smile to Jax's face. "If I knew you would like it so much, I would have done it years ago, big guy."

Opie rolled his eyes. "I left my porn star girlfriend home to come hear gay jokes from you?"

"I think that proves my point more than yours," Jax grinned. "Okay, I'm done now. I promise. How's it going?"

"Same, I guess," Opie sighed, glad to leave the topic of his sexuality behind. "Garage is the same. Guys are the same. Not much has changed."

"The same is good, I guess," Jax said. "And how's the…side business?"

Opie kind of hated not being able to come out and speak about Club shit in the open, but there was no way to know whether somebody might be listening to them.

"Things are settled on that front," Opie reported. "Chibs is back from vacation tomorrow. He's liking it over there. He spent three weeks with the girls and even went to visit some rich uncles over there. He told me…that he went souvenir shopping."

"Nice," Jax smiled at Opie's wording. "I miss him. I'm glad he got to spend time with his family."

Jax stopped talking, but Opie knew that he had more to say. He didn't have to wait long. "I wonder how he did it."

"How he did what?" Opie asked, confused. Jax wasn't making a ton of sense right now, and Op was worried.

"Chibs went ten or so years without seeing his kid and his wife," Jax explained. "I haven't even been inside for a month, and I am going nuts. I miss Tara and Abel."

"Ah," Opie immediately understood. He had been where Jax was before, and he knew that there wasn't much he could say right now to make it better. "I am guessing Tara hasn't been to see you yet?"

"No," Jax replied shortly. "I talk to her on the phone but….she hasn't come out."

Opie knew that Tara was having some trouble adjusting to the reality of Jax being in prison. She was nervous and scared and she missed him like crazy. He was going to have to talk to her, though. Jax was his best friend, and seeing his old lady and his kid would be good for him. It would give him some hope in here, and from the looks of him, he really needed it.

"Listen man," Opie spoke up. "When I went inside, Donna didn't come see me for weeks and weeks. She was pissed. At me and the Club and life and everything. She pulled away and it took a while for her to get to where she could come see me without losing it."

"I remember," Jax nodded.

"Tara is not Donna," Opie told him. "She isn't mad, at least not at you. She just doesn't think she is strong enough to see you here without breaking down. Plus, she is pregnant and puking constantly, and Abel is kind of exhausting. Just give her some time, brother."

"Yeah, I know," Jax agreed quickly. "It just sucks being in here when I know I have responsibility out there."

"We're handling all of the responsibilities," Opie told him, leaving zero room for argument. "You are doing what you have to do. We are keeping things going and checking on your kid and your girl. She'll come see you soon. Try not to worry, brother."

"Yeah," Jax sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "I appreciate you looking out for me and taking care of things. We all do."

"It's not a problem," Opie dismissed his thanks. "It's what we do."

"The guys wanted me to tell you thanks for sending some of the Crow Eaters," Jax spoke up, a smile on his face. "Some don't get a lot of visitors. Juice and Tig and Hap are thrilled."

"We had to send most of them to other charters," Opie admitted, glad to finally be talking about something easier. "There are slim picking around TM these days."

Jax raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Were the guys pissed?"

"Not really," Opie shook his head. "Kozik is keeping in touch with a few locals, and Dad is just…Dad."

"And you and Chibs have tapped out," Jax shot him a shit eating grin.

"You're one to talk," Opie glared at him. "Weren't you just missing your girl and your kid like, five seconds ago?"

"Yeah, shut up," Jax argued. Around them, people were moving. Visitation was almost up. "Thanks for coming all the way out here like this, man."

"No problem," Opie told him seriously, before adding, "It's not like I have a business of a Club or a family to run. I have tons of free time."

Jax laughed, and Opie continued. "Seriously though. I wouldn't miss it. Tell the other guys to stay safe, okay?"

"I will, man," Jax said, standing and moving to hug Op. "Being Chibs with you next time. It'll be good to see him."

Opie nodded and he wrapped his arms around Jax. For the ten seconds of the hug, they could talk more freely. "I met with Mr. Black and they will be looking out for you guys in here. Mr. Brown and I have something set for tomorrow. Hang in there until then, Jax."

"Thank you," Jax whispered back. "For everything."

Opie nodded and watched as his best friend was led away in cuffs. He turned to go collect his belongings and make his way out of the prison, making a note to stop and talk to Tara on his way home. He owed his friend that much.


	11. Flying High

**Hi friends! Here is chapter 11! I am sorry that it has taken so long to get up, but I have been ill, and pretty much just exhausted. Thanks to simbagirl and MRsprofile for the reviews, and to everybody who has followed and favorited. You guys make my writer's heart happy. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this next chapter. Please drop a quick review! Thanks!**

A loud cargo plane flying miles above the Atlantic Ocean was not anywhere near Filip Telford's list of favorite places to be. If given the option, he would much rather be back in the bed he had awoken in this morning, with his wife curled next to him. Or maybe he would like to be on a bike going about 80 down a back road. Hell, even sitting in front of the television with Kerrianne as she watched one of her outrageously terrible shows would be better than this. Yes, he would much rather be about a million other places, but nevertheless, this shaky plane was where he found himself.

Chibs took a moment to weigh a couple of options. Since take off, roughly thirty minutes ago, he had been sitting stock still in one of the fold down seats, not moving a muscle, in hopes that the food he had eaten earlier would somehow stay in his stomach. Now, he was faced with the choice of whether or not it was worth the risk to move and try and find something other than worry to occupy his mind. He eyed the small duffle bag sitting about five feet to his right. It was purple and had clearly seen better days, but his Kerrianne had handed it to him right before he boarded, telling him that she had packed him some things to keep him busy on the flight back. He smiled at the recent memory and decided that it was probably worth the risk.

Taking a deep breath and moving as cautiously as possible, taking time to find his footing on the unstable ground of a moving plane, he covered the two steps between him and the bag. As quickly as possible, he dragged the bag back towards the seat. Whatever was in this bag, he hoped that it was enough to take his mind off of the constant worry. He worried over whether or not his family would be okay in Ireland without him. He worried about when he would see his beloved girls again. He worried about the boys who would be in prison for the next year or so. He worried about the Club and how they would manage with most of the members gone. He worried about the teetering tower of stability they had built up that could literally fall at any moment. Compared to all of that, his worry that this plane could very easily just fall out of the sky seemed silly. Still, he figured it was best not to chance it and secured himself firmly in the seat.

Chibs pulled the purple bag into his lap and opened it, immediately revealing a letter in his daughter's messy scrawl. He grinned as he picked up the pink paper and unfolded it, eager to read every last word written.

_Hi Da!_

_I guess you are probably reading this on the plane. At least I hope you are, because that is what this letter and this package are meant for. Me told me that you really don't like planes much and you are terrified of flying, so I thought that maybe I could pack you some things to make it better._

He scoffed. He was NOT 'terrified of flying', he just had the good sense to prefer solid ground.

_So I put a bunch of stuff in here that I thought might be good. There are a couple of books, but I wasn't sure what kind you liked, so I just put ones I liked in there. The first one is Twilight, which is a vampire love story. You will probably hate it, but do you really have anything better to do? The other is by Charles Dickens and it is called Great Expectations. I have never read it, but Ma picked it out and said it was about time you actually read it, whatever that means._

He actually laughed. Years ago, so long that it seemed like a different life, he and Fiona had been partnered together to read the old book and write a paper. He had managed to not even crack it open and Fiona had done the entire thing herself, fearing for her grade. He had paid for his slacking with a swift and painful kick to the shins, but really, he hadn't minded much.

_I also put my old iPod in here, because I am pretty sure you don't have one, which is weird because like, everybody has an iPod. Anyway, don't worry, I already loaded some music on it that I thought you might like. I know you didn't really like all of the music I made you listen to while you were here, but you didn't seem to mind some of it, so I picked a few songs that I thought you could listen to. Ma helped me pick out some other stuff that she thought you might like. It's got to be better than listening to plane engines, right? I put directions about how to use it on a sticky note. It's not hard._

His girl was most definitely right about the engines, and he was touched. She had put a lot of thought into making sure he was happy and comfortable, and he was grateful for that.

_You said that you were going back on a cargo jet (Really, is that safe? Because what was wrong with the plane that you came over on?) and I didn't think that their snack services were top notch, so I packed you some snacks. I put pretzels in there because you like them. There are almonds and trail mix and stuff too. Ma said we should put healthy stuff, but don't worry, I put the good candy in the bottom. I also put in some of the oatmeal cookies that we made. They turned out really good, and I read an article online that oatmeal helped to calm anxiety, you know, because of the plane. There is some water and I managed to snag you some Irn Bru too, but don't tell Ma. She says it's neon orange sugar water. Hopefully it will at least get you back to California._

He hadn't even considered the fact that there was absolutely no food on this plane. He had been pretty stressed out and concerned about leaving; he had been worried about making sure they were alright and he hadn't given a second thought to his own needs. He smiled to know that somebody else was concerned for him. It was good to be loved

_There is also a crossword puzzle book, because I looked it up on the internet and it said that Americans liked to do crossword puzzles. They seemed ridiculous to me, but if you like them, then I guess it will help. In case you don't really like crossword puzzles, I put a couple of good comic books in there. No matter where you are from, comics are cool. There is one that is Doctor Who and one with an outlaw vigilante out for justice. They are both good and I think that you will like them._

His daughter had a secret weakness for comics, and it made him smile. There were many, many worse things she could be into, like ballet or pole dancing. Comics were definitely a good thing.

_Okay, so that is about all I could think of to put in there. Hopefully, it will be enough stuff for you to do so you won't have to worry so much. Everything is going to be fine, Da. Planes are designed to stay in the sky and they are actually really safe and it won't be so bad. I promise. Even if the plane trip is awful, you have to say that it was alright, because I really want to come see you in California, okay? And if you tell me how awful the trip was, I won't have the guts. So just think good thoughts and stuff and I am sure that it will be fine._

It did something to his heart to know that his daughter wanted to come see him. He would never admit it, but that thought made him practically giddy.

_I suppose it's about time for me to finish this letter off, because I can hear you and Ma getting stuff into the car to leave, and obviously this has to get loaded in as well. Thank you for coming to see us, Da. I know that you have a life in California and other responsibilities, but I have loved having you around. Ma and I are going to miss you so much, but I promise that we will take care of each other and be okay until you come back and we can be together again. I am not going to get into fights and be insane, so you don't have to worry. Everything is going to be okay. I love you so much, Da, and I hope to see you really soon._

_XO, Kerrianne_

Chibs finished the letter before reading it a second time, and a third, finally tucking it safely away inside his pockets and closing his eyes. Leaving his daughter, and Fiona as well, had been really hard. It went against every instinct he had as a man, a father, and a husband. There was something tangibly wrong with the idea of his family being so far from him, where he couldn't see them or hug them or protect the, and it created a definite hole inside of him. However, the fact that he had clearly left behind a fucking fantastic kid filled him with hope that maybe Kerrianne was right. Maybe everything would be okay.

The plane lurched, hitting a bit of turbulence. Chibs grasped the armrests for dear life, before making a conscious decision to ease up. His daughter was just a kid and she had asked him to think good thoughts and not hate this entire trip, and as much as he hated flying, the least he could do was not be a coward about it. He hated flying, but seeing his girls was well worth it. Besides, he was going to have to give his girl details of the trip when he called from Charming tonight, so he figured he had better relax a little bit and not be miserable. Fiona had an uncanny ability to tell when he was lying, and there was every chance that Kerrianne had inherited that ability.

He pulled the headphones and the bag of pretzels from the bag. Hopefully the music would distract him and drown out the noise from outside. He began to ponder the reading selections. The comics were a good option, but they were quick reads and it would only be an hour or so before he was finished with them. He wanted something that would really distract for a while. He briefly considered the Dickens. Fiona had mentioned that she was going to buy him a copy and had offered up some very tantalizing rewards upon completion of the book. However, a cargo plane a million miles from the earth's surface was really not the best place for him to ponder those rewards. It looked like the vampire romance was going to have to work for now.

He pulled his reading glass from his pocket and opened the bag of pretzels, figuring the sooner he started reading, the faster the trip would be over.

* * *

Tess was not one to generally put up with idleness. Since her accident and the subsequent time in the hospital and the hours spent 'resting', she preferred to be busy and in motion as often as possible. Usually, she had no problems maintaining her preferred lifestyle. Whether she was reading or jogging or cooking or playing ridiculous video games on her Wii, she was pretty much able to keep going, going, going as often as she wanted to. Right now, though, she was behind the desk as Teller Morrow Garage, and she had absolutely nothing to do.

When she had begun working at Teller Morrow three weeks ago, everything had been an unholy mess. There had been paperwork everywhere, some dating back months. The filing system had been very difficult to find under all of the random papers shoved here and there. There were customer bills that had never been sent out. There were random shop related bills that had been overlooked. The computer was on its' last leg and the entire accumulation of shop records seemed to consist of a single, battered filing cabinet that Tess couldn't even get open.

In the past few weeks, she had been in work heaven. She had organized all the paper work. She had balanced the books, paid bills, and managed to keep the electricity and water on. She had sorted and filed every last bit of necessary scrap of paper in the office. She had invoiced customers, and made more than a few nagging phone calls convincing people to pay up on some long overdue bills. Hell, she had even made several pots of coffee and had broken down and cleaned and dusted the entire office. All of that was long since done, and as much as Tess really hated to admit it, she was bored.

Part of her wondered if she should go and confess to Opie that there was really no reason to have her around full time at the garage anymore. The organizing and sorting and cleaning was already done; now it was really just maintaining order, which she could easily do in ten hours each week. The problem was, she couldn't live off the wages she would make in ten hours each week. She needed a full time job in order to support herself, so she didn't have to go crawling home. It would be possible for her to find another job here and stay in Charming, but in truth, she really liked it here at the garage. Everybody treated her well and she had even been invited to dinners. They took an interest in her life, and she liked that. It was almost like having a family again, which made her feel even more guilty taking home the amount of money she was taking home for doing a job that a trained ape could probably handle.

Tess jockeyed back and forth between staring at the clock and praying for it to move faster and trying to figure out what, if anything, she should say to Opie and Gemma. In fact, she was so busy being incredibly bored that she didn't notice Kozik approaching the door until it swung open, causing her to shriek and jump a foot in the air.

"Hey, easy there!" Kozik exclaimed, holding his hands up in a surrendering manner. "My nut sack can't take any more of your irrational panic attacks."

"Holy Christ," Tess breathed, putting a hand over her still racing heart. "You scared the shit out of me!"

"Well, at least you didn't punch me this time," Kozik answered, lowering his hands and grinning. "I didn't even mean to sneak up on you. I was being loud and everything."

"Well, next time," Tess advised as she relaxed her tensed up muscles. "Be louder."

"Got it. I will start banging on pots and pans every time I come near you," Kozik joked as he sat down in the chair across from her.

"You could go all Lloyd Dobler and carry a boom box around," Tess suggested lightly. "Blare some Peter Gabriel song at all times. I think it would be classy."

"Yeah, I have no idea what you're talking about," Koz admitted easily. "But Peter Gabriel sucks."

Tess's jaw dropped. "Take that back right now!" she insisted. "And what do you mean? Are you seriously saying that you have never seen Say Anything?"

"Yeah, I'm not really a movie guy," Kozik told her with a shrug. "Well, unless they are violent and have lots of naked chicks in them."

Tess rolled her eyes. "So not Say Anything. That's so lame. My favorite movie in the entire world, and you have never seen it because it doesn't have any tits in it. It's a shame; I was really starting to like you, too."

"Well then let's watch it," Kozik suggested, trying to sound casual but he came off like a kid at Christmas. "You. Me. Movie. Right now. My place or yours?"

The suggestion caught Tess completely off guard for a moment. "Um," she stammered. "No."

"Why not?" he asked, with a teasing grin. "Are you scared that your favorite movie sucks?"

"No!" came her indignant reply. "It does NOT suck. I just…can't."

"Again, why not?" he said, toying with her. He had a hunch that she would give in to his request, and he was having fun.

"Because it is 3:00 in the afternoon and I am at work!" she explained, knowing that it was a weak excuse. "And so are you, for that matter!"

"Yeah, you look so busy," Kozik told her, raising an eyebrow. "In a perfectly straight office with zero cars on the lot and no paperwork whatsoever."

"Well…" she huffed. "What am I supposed to do? I am on until 5:00. I can't just leave!"

"Yeah, you can," he told her, grabbing her hand and pulling her up from the office chair.

"No I can't! Who will handle the customers? Who will cover the phone? Who will-," Tess started to argue, but was quickly cut off.

"-sit and stare into space?" he said sarcastically. "I am sure we can find somebody. Dog can handle the phone and there are no customers. Come on."

"But…" she trailed off, knowing that she was running out of excuses. "Don't _you_ have anything better to do?"

In truth, the answer was yes, he had about a million things he should be doing, but he wasn't going to actually do a damned one of them. Instead, he was determined to get this girl to watch a stupid movie with him.

"Not at all," he lied, throwing an arm over her shoulder. "So, my place or yours?"

Tess sighed, but was unable to deny the spark of excitement in her gut. "Mine," she told him. "And I', driving."


	12. Homecoming

**Hi guys! First of all, thank you so much for being incredibly patient and waiting for updates. Real life has been a little bit crazy lately, and has kind of forced writing to take a backseat. Hopefully, this next chapter will be worth the wait! Please enjoy it and leave a review to let me know what you think!**

**Second of all, if you are a fan Chibs and Fiona and Kerrianne, or if you are a fan of fucking fantastic writing in general, head over to check out the story I've Nowhere to Stand (And Now Nowhere to Hide) by Jane Kelley. I promise that you will in no way regret it. **

**Without further ado...onto the story!**

"Are you sure that this is okay?" Tess asked for the twelfth time as they stood in the checkout line at the grocery store. "I mean, I don't usually just up and leave a job before it's time to go. I don't want to…"

Kozik rolled his eyes, again, as her voice trailed off. It intrigued him greatly that Tess seemed to be both a badass and an upright, responsible employee at the exact same time. She seemed genuinely concerned about leaving her post at Teller-Morrow, and no matter how many time he told her it was fine, she didn't seem to believe him. He may not have been Opie or Gemma, but he was (kind of, sort of) still her boss, and he wished she would just relax. At the same time, he couldn't help but be at least a little turned on by the type A, anal retentive side of her.

"…don't want to what? Get in trouble?" he taunted, a smirk firmly situated on his lips.

Her eyes narrowed as she turned to look at him. "No."

"No?" he continued, loving the tension he could see building up in her eyes. "Because you look worried. Are you afraid I am going to call Gemma and tell her you ditched?"

She huffed at him and turned, staring resolutely in the other direction, which was fine with Kozik, as it allowed him a good view of her ass. She stood, facing forward, arms crossed, resolutely ignoring him for all of about thirty seconds before he sighed heavily.

"Listen, I'm sorry," he said, throwing an arm around her. "I promise not to call Gemma. In fact, I will even pay for the gross Red Vines and Diet Coke."

"First of all, Red Vines are not gross. They are awesome and I can't watch a movie without them. No giving me shit about it. I am not saying anything about the tiny, bite sized, diarrhea inducing pizza rolls, so lay off the Red Vines," she told him, leaving no room for argument. "Second of all, no more making fun of me."

"For what, like an hour?" Kozik asked, knowing that she couldn't be serious.

"No! Like, for forever," Tess insisted, completely sincere.

Kozik burst out laughing, attracting alarmed looks from nearby shoppers. When Tess elbowed him in the ribs, he managed to quiet down, shaking his head. "There is no way that will ever happen. Teasing you is way too much fun." She fumed. "And now I suppose I will have to buy you some other gross candy to make up for that. Do you like Raisinets?"

Her eyes narrowed again as she grabbed the chocolate covered raisins from the stacks of candy piled by the check out and tossed them on the conveyor belt. She could continue with the argument, the constant back and forth that he seemed to thrive on. Or, she could say exactly what she was thinking and play it off as a well timed joke, and it would shut him up for at least a few minutes.

"You really should be careful about how much you tease," Tess told him, one eyebrow raised. "Because I might just start to tease back. And Kozik? I am really, really good at teasing."

She turned to the teenage cashier, who was watching them with interest. "He's paying," she said, before kissing Kozik's cheek and walking out of the store, hips swaying enticingly. She ignored the stir of excitement in her belly and hoped to God he didn't notice her hands shaking as she walked away.

* * *

Opie lit another cigarette as he stared out the window of the tow truck. There were a million things to think about as he sat and waited, but he was content to let his mind rest for a while. There would be plenty to consider, think about, and catch up on just as soon as Chibs's plane arrived. Right now, he had no pressing concerns and nothing to occupy his attention. He leaned his head against the back window and allowed his eyes to close for just a moment.

In the past month or so, since the guys had been on the inside, things on the outside had been quiet; almost suspiciously quiet. The transition from random guy at the table to acting president had gone very smoothly; too smoothly, if he was honest. Their allies had been accommodating and supportive, while their enemies had been virtually silent. Aside from the Russians, as far as Opie knew, they were cool with everybody, from the Irish all the way down to the low, street level gangsters. It was the quiet that made Opie nervous. SAMCRO did not do quiet well, and he felt like it was only a matter of time before the other shoe fell.

But right now, he was not thinking about any of that. Right now, he was determined to not focus on anything troubling. He could drive himself crazy harping on the "what ifs" in the world. Instead, he focused on better things, like the sex he and Lila had had last night, the smiles on his kids' faces this morning, and the deep, rough laughter from his dad as they watched Chuckie try to change baby Abel. Things could definitely be much worse for him. His best friend and many of his other brothers were in prison. Gemma and Tara were alone, with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Chibs technically lived on a different continent than the two people he loved most in the world. All things considered, Opie knew that his life was going really well right now.

Op flicked his cigarette out the window and climbed out of the truck as he saw the plane approach for a landing. It had been a long three weeks without Chibs around, and though his brother deserved every last minute he spent in Ireland with his girls, Opie was sure as hell glad to have him back. He had had his dad and Kozik around, along with the Prospects and the Nomads for company, but none of them were Chibs. He sure as hell would be glad to have a solid second in command back, if only to assure him that he was doing the right things and making the right choices.

He waited several long minutes while the plane taxied down the small runway and came to a stop. He watched as the wheels were blocked off and the door opened and the stairs extended. Finally he watched as his much missed friend climbed through the door looking pale, slightly nauseous, and more weary than Opie could ever remember seeing him. Despite all of that, there was a lightness in his eyes that hadn't been there before, and he knew that it could be attributed to the time spent away, and the people it was spent with. Regardless of all that, Chibs sure as hell was a sight for sore eyes and Opie only waited a few seconds before engulfing the ragged Scot in a hug.

"Good to see you too, brother," Chibs muttered as he returned the hug. "How've you been?"

"Same as ever," Opie replied. "Never thought I'd be so glad to see your ugly ass."

He expected Chibs to fire back some sort of witty retort, but instead, he just got a shoulder shrug and a bland, "Aye."

Op was taken aback for a moment, but really, he shouldn't have been. He should have realized that his friend would not take very much joy in being back here in Charming, away from his family. The older man was in a uniquely difficult situation, and it made Opie feel like a jackass for not spending every spare minute with his own old lady and kids.

"You miss them already, huh?" Opie asked grabbing one of his friend's bags and heading back towards the truck.

"I really do," Chibs agreed without much thought at all. Right now, he was trying very hard to not focus on the memory of warm lips pressed to his, wet cheeks, and whispered pleadings to _be careful_ and _stay safe_ and_ come back soon._

"But at least it was a good trip, right?" Opie asked, trying to find a bright side for his friend to cling to. "You seem whole and happy and all that shit."

"It was a great trip," Chibs corrected swiftly, climbing up into the cab of the truck. "Leaving them behind is the trouble."

"It always is brother," Opie said, handing his friend a smoke and lighting one of his own. "You'll see them again soon."

"I hope so," Chibs said, a small smile on his face. "They might come visit you know, as soon as Kerrianne has some time off of school."

"That will be fun," Opie joked. "Imagine the family dinners with Fiona and Gemma and Lila and pregnant Tara, plus Tess, all I the same room. It will be like a dream come true."

Chibs looked genuinely startled as he breathed out a puff of smoke. "Jesus. Now there's something to look forward to."

Opie laughed as he started the engine. "Speaking of family, Gemma is demanding I bring you over immediately. Sorry."

Chibs sighed, taking a long drag from the cigarette. "Alright. Let's go."

As the two brothers made their way from the airport, neither of them took any notice of the pair of eyes following them as they drove away, nor the sound of a motor starting, intending to follow their lead.

* * *

Kozik found himself in a very awkward and uncomfortable place. Sitting on Tess's couch, staring at the surprisingly large and state of the art television ('_What? I like TV!_' she had said), watching a movie while the girl in question slept on his shoulder was a fucking awesome place to be. He liked it here and could really do with being in that particular position much more often. The awkward and uncomfortable part came from the fact that the bowl of popcorn sitting on his lap was the only thing hiding his incredibly…hard situation. He felt like a fucking middle-schooler.

Everything had started well enough. They had gotten out of the grocery store without any major incident, though her comment about teasing would stick with him for a while. They had arrived at her walk up apartment just before the rain, which made it a perfect afternoon for movie watching. Her apartment had made him smile. Everything was comfortable and colorful and neat and tidy and so very Tess that he just couldn't help himself. She had made popcorn and prepared snacks as he wandered around the place, examining the pictures and the books and the small trinkets here and there. It hadn't lasted long, because she quickly enlisted is help, which he really should have expected.

Soon after, they were side by side on the couch as the movie began. She had surprised him by changing into a pair of old flannel pajama pants and tank top, before settling in next to him and diving into the candy with a vengeance. He had never been accused of being overly intelligent, but even he was smart enough to not comment on the amount of food this girl could pack away. He couldn't quite manage to keep the smirk off his face when she went for his pizza rolls, but she let it go.

About halfway through the film, she had begun yawning, and it didn't take very long for her to end up asleep on his shoulder. Between the boredom from the job and the amount of food she had inhaled, of course she was tired. He had been completely okay with her being so close to him, her body resting, warm and prone against his. This was all fine and normal. Legit outlaw bikers and the hired help probably did this sort of thing all the time; no big deal. It wasn't until he noticed the scent of her hair that the trouble really started. She usually wore it up around the shop, but she was here in her own home, and her hair was down and he could smell it. He had always had a weakness for roses.

As much as he tried to ignore the attraction, it was growing by the minute. She was sleeping, so she probably didn't mind him really, truly looking at her. He noticed the long eyelashes shading her closed eyes. He noticed the sparkly blue toenail polish, generally kept hidden by her sensible shoes. He noticed the pale white patch of skin that was exposed between her pajama pants and the tank top that had ridden up. He noticed the ink on her shoulder blade that barely peeked out from beneath the thin shirt, and he would definitely be asking about it as soon as possible. A man like Kozik was not used to noticing things like this, but he sure as hell noticed now.

The soft scent of her hair was addicting, and it was as if it was begging him to just reach out and touch it. What was the harm, really? She was definitely asleep, and she would probably never even know. _Fuck it_, he thought.

His fingers tips reached up and connected with her locks, and he knew that the risk was worth it. The hair beneath his fingers was silky and smooth and the rose scent was stronger now. The hair fell through his fingers easily, but he manage to bring a piece closer to his nose as he inhaled. He was so taken and enthralled that he somehow didn't notice the even breathing stop, nor did he see her eyes flutter open.

"Are you smelling my hair?" she asked, startling Kozik so much that he was barely able to keep the popcorn bowl from flying through the air. His hand returned to his side immediately.

"No," he told her firmly, looking straight ahead at the television.

She lifted her head up, but remained close, staring at him. "Yes, you were," she insisted. "Why?"

He turned to look at her, his mind scrambling to figure out how to salvage the situation and tease his way out of it. The look on her face stopped him. Her face still held the last vestiges of sleep, but her eyes were so bright. She was shooting him a look of such remarkable vulnerability that he couldn't bring himself to make a joke out of it. There was nothing he could say that would make this look like anything other than exactly what it was.

So, instead of trying to find a way out of the hole he had dug, he just leaned over and kissed her instead.


	13. Sweet and Jaded

**Hi guys! Here is chapter 13. Sorry for the wait. Life is kicking my ass right now. Not feeling all that well. But know what would help me feel better? A review or two! :-)**

Chibs awoke to a sharp tug on his hair. His eyes flew open and he inhaled a sudden breath. Waking was never a pleasant thing to do, and this time was no exception. His eyes darted around, looking for the source of his discomfort and it took him barely a second to recognize the source. Abel Teller, shooting him a toothless grin, was standing next to him, hands tangled in his hair. Chibs's sleep fogged mind wondered when baby Abel had learned to walk.

"Abel!" he heard Tara whisper yell as she made her way over to the couch where he was currently sleeping. "Leave Chibs alone! You can't wake up people when they are sleeping, baby!"

"He's alright Doc," Chibs muttered, stretching the tired muscles in his shoulders and back as he sat up. "My fault for falling asleep in the middle of the Club house. I shouldn't be sleeping right now anyway. It's what, eleven in the morning?"

"Yeah, try noon," she smiled as she picked up Abel. "And sleeping is fine. You have only been back for what, a day and a half? You are probably still jet lagged."

"Yeah," he agreed with a yawn. Looking around, he took in his surroundings, noticing the abundance of leather and wood and the stripper pole, in addition to the ever present haze of cigarette smoke, even though the room was mostly empty. Between his Ireland trip and the guys being on the inside, he hadn't spent much time in here lately. It was funny to Chibs that he could manage to fall asleep here, in a cold, musty Club house, but not at his own house, in his own bed. After spending weeks and weeks sharing a bad with his wife, he was finding it difficult to not have her next to him. He hadn't really slept since he had been back, and he supposed it was getting to him.

"Well, I am still sorry he woke you up," she told him. "We actually we about to leave. Tess finally showed up, so I am off phone duty."

"She say why she was late?" he asked. The girl working in the office had been very late this morning, and luckily Tara had been able to cover for her.

"No, but she is upset about something. She has been crying, I can tell," Tara reported with zero doubt in her voice. "Are you sure you are going to be okay here on your own today? I could cancel my appointment and stay if you need me to."

Opie and Piney had left on a charity run early this morning, leaving him in charge of the garage. Perhaps not surprisingly, Kozik was nowhere to be found. The garage was pretty busy today, and if he hadn't had Tara around to handle the phone calls and customers this morning, he would have been forced to do it himself, which was a disaster waiting to happen. He may have lived here for nearly ten years, but despite that fact, the vast majority or Charming still looked at him as though he spoke a foreign language.

"Yeah, I'll manage, no need for you to cancel. You need to check up on the littlest Teller. The mechanics and prospects are handling the actual work and Tess will handle everything else. Chuckie will be here soon to do whatever it is that he does. We will be fine," he told her firmly.

"And what about you? What will you handle?" she asked him with a smirk as she tried her hardest to keep a firm grasp on a squirming Abel. Now that he had learned to walk, he liked doing it as often as possible.

"I will handle doing my laundry," he gestured to the still untouched bags he bad brought back with him from Ireland. "I am on my last pair of clean socks, so I can't put it off any longer."

He had truly meant to do some of his laundry before coming back, but he had gotten a bit sidetracked by his wife looking all to enticing in an ancient button up shirt of his and then by sleep, and by the time he had actually woken up, Fiona and Kerrianne had packed his clothes for him and it was too late for any laundry.

"Yeah, then definitely wash some clothes," Tara encouraged him, crinkling her nose at the thought of dirty socks. "Don't forget dinner at Gemma's tomorrow. She wants to welcome you home with lasagna and family drama. Call me if you need anything, okay? And…check on Tess if you get a minute."

"Absolutely," he assured her, running a hand through his hair, attempting to remove any evidence that he was sleeping on the job. "Same goes for you. If there is anything at all you need, you'll let us know?"

"Actually," she spoke up, looking down at her feet as if she was feeling nervous or guilty or both. "There is something…"

"What is it, Doc?" he asked, looking at her seriously. She hardly ever asked anything from them, so whatever she asked, he was going to make sure it happened.

"I think I want to go see Jax," she blurted out. "I have been putting it off, and it needs to stop. Do you think…Would it be okay if…Can I just…"

He looked at the woman in front of him, surprised to hear that she hadn't been to Stockton yet. He hurried to answer the question that she hadn't managed to ask yet. "Absolutely. Tomorrow, if you want."

She grinned at him, glad that he understood. "Thank you. Opie came to see me about it and…I can't put it off any more. He deserves it, and I need to see him."

"And you will," he promised her. "Tomorrow. Now, go check on the wee one and I will do laundry and have a lovely chat with our office girl."

Tara thanked him and Chibs helped himself to a beer from behind the bar. He waited for Tara and Abel to leave before sinking into the couch again and thinking of the long list of shit he had to do today. Between work and some necessary repairs to his bike and laundry and making sure that the bills were paid for the guys on the inside, he was in no way looking forward to having a chat with Tess. He would, though, because she was family now and because he had promised Tara. First things first, though.

He downed the last half of his beer and got up, dragging his unpacked Ireland bags towards the small laundry room near the dorms. He really hated doing laundry but there was no way to avoid it. Chibs dropped the smaller of the two bags on the floor and set the larger on a counter. He pulled the generic laundry soap from the utility shelf and then unzipped the large duffel, ready to dump the entire contents into the washer. He was surprised to find that it was unnecessary.

Inside his bag, he didn't find random pieces of clothing shoved into every spare nook and cranny. Instead, he found every pair of pants, every t-shirt, every sock and every pair of underwear neatly folded and organized in the duffel. If the smell was any indication, they were all clean, too. It took him a minute to figure out what happened, a fact that he blamed on lack of sleep. Fiona must have worked halfway through the night, while he slept soundly, to wash and fold all of his damned clothes.

His eyes found their way to a slip of paper, peering out from under a pair of jeans. He smiled and he gently pulled it out, not willing to risk ripping it.

_My Filip,_

_Kerrianne and I thought that you might like some clean clothes once you got back to Charming, so we washed them for you. I know how much you hate to do it, and besides, it's not too often that I get to act like a proper wife and do your wash for you. Kerrianne was not feeling so charitable, and she took her vengeance by taking any money that was in your pockets. Sorry._

_We both love you, very much._

_Fi_

He ran his fingers over the closing, promising him that his family loved him, before he tucked the note carefully away in his pocket and zipped his bags again. He would have to make sure to call and thank them later today, and he was thrilled to have an excuse to talk to his girls, not that he really needed an excuse. A smile situated on his face, he left to start the next task on his list.

* * *

Tess glanced to her left, ensuring that the blinds were closed, before sinking her head on the desk to rest on top of her folded arms. She had hoped that it would bring relief, but when it did no such thing, she started gently banging her skull against the solid wood of the desk. That probably wouldn't help her headache, exhaustion and profound sadness, but it did make her feel a little bit better.

She had fucked up, yesterday, royally. Waking up this morning, alone, had made her realize that shockingly quickly. Spending the two hours that followed her awakening crying on the floor of her shower, long after the water ran cold, had been another mistake. For those couple of hours, she had completely lost herself, and work had been the farthest thing from her mind. That was, until her phone had rang and it had been her mother, asking her yet again whether or not she was ready to admit her mistakes and come back home.

No, she was absolutely not ready to go crawling back home, and she sure as hell wasn't ready to admit her mistakes. She may have made a monstrously huge error in judgment last night, and she may be feeling alone and embarrassed and abandoned and completely ashamed of herself, but she was NOT going home and she needed this goddamn job. So she dried her hair and put on clothes and makeup and called the shop to apologize and say she was on her way. She just hoped like hell that he wouldn't bother showing up today. She didn't know what she might do if she saw him.

Thankfully, he had been blessedly absent when she pulled in. The shop looked busy and she didn't notice too many familiar faces as she slipped into the office, apologies pouring out of her like blood from an open wound. The pretty, dark haired woman, Tara, had just smiled and assured her that it was okay. As the doctor explained that Opie and Piney were gone for the day and Chibs was in charge, Tess tried her best to focus and listen. She must not have done very well, because Tara has immediately asked her if she was okay.

Tess did her absolute best to assure the woman that she was fine and nothing was wrong. She could tell that Tara didn't buy it, but thankfully she let the subject drop. Soon after that, the doctor and her cute baby had exited the office, leaving Tess alone with her thoughts. In all honestly, the young woman had no idea whether or not that was a good thing. After all that had happened in the past twenty four hours, she was almost sure that 'alone with her thoughts' was not a great place to be.

For a while, she tried to distract herself with work. She filled out and addressed invoices, she did the parts order, and she filed paper work. All of that had taken her a grand total of twenty minutes. She had then broken down and filled out the mechanics time sheets, even though they were supposed to be responsible for that themselves. She even taken up a cheery voice and made phone calls to ask people how their vehicles were fairing after services. Once that task as finished, she was well and truly left with nothing to do, which was when she decided that banging her head on the desk was an acceptable task.

Her head shot up when the door unexpectedly swung open, and she was hit with a moment of sheer panic. Kozik liked to burst in without knocking and she really couldn't handle that right now. She was relieved to find that it was Chibs who wandered into the office. She quickly fixed what she hoped would pass for a smile on her face and greeted him.

"Hey Chibs, long time, no see," she said, careful to regulate her tone of voice. She was shooting for light and cheery, but she had a feeling it came out as weird and demented instead.

"Aye, you're right," he agreed, sinking into one of the chairs. "Just got back yesterday."

"How was Ireland?" she asked, eager to keep the conversation off of herself.

"It was great," he told her easily. Looking at the man in front of her, it seemed like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, and she was happy for him. She had liked Chibs instantly and was truly glad to see him happy. "Really, really great."

"That's good," she smiled at him, a little more genuinely this time, as she desperately thought of ways to keep the conversation going so that he wouldn't feel the need to ask any questions. She failed miserably.

"Seems like things with you are not as great," he spoke up, with every air of casual conversation. "Want to tell me what is bothering you?"

Shit. Shit shit shit. This was exactly what she hadn't wanted to discuss. She decided to play dumb. "Nothing is bothering me. I am just fine."

She watched as his eyes narrowed. Before his answer even came, she was well aware that he didn't believe her. "Yeah, I have spent the past several weeks surrounded by women. I have learned a great deal about how women say that they are fine, but they generally mean the exact opposite," he told her. "Wanna try again?"

"No. I really, really don't," she whispered, begging him with her eyes to please, please understand. What could she possibly say? '_Well, I had good, amazing, literally mind blowing sex with one of your leather bound buddies for hours and hours last night, and I really liked it, and I really liked him, and then the second I closed my eyes, I listened to him curse under his breath and hightail it out, and then I cried myself to sleep.'_ Yeah, no.

He sighed heavily. Looking at the young woman in front of him, he knew for a fact that something was wrong. He also knew for a fact that if she was anything like his Fiona or Kerrianne (or any other woman in the world), pushing too hard would get him nowhere. "Are you in any kind of danger, Sweetheart?"

"No, nothing like that," she assured him, shaking her head emphatically. "Just some…personal stuff. That's all. I promise, I won't be late again."

"Don't worry on it," he told her, standing up stretching. His next statement surprised her. "I am surprised you haven't gotten bored in here yet."

"What?" she asked quickly, thrown by the sudden change in topic. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've got everything sorted around here, and I know from experience that the day to day isn't all that exciting. I figured you would have gotten bored by now."

"Well, I…um…it's just…" she stammered, before managing a laugh. "Yeah. Bored. Really, really bored."

"Gemma used to read in here all the time," he eyed the books on the shelves, mostly torrid romance novels involving pirates or cowboys. "But I am guessing none of that is quite your thing?"

"Not really," she agreed. "I am all for terrible, easy to read books, but that is just…too much."

His eyes lit up as he reached in his back pocket. "I have just the thing for you," he grinned as he tossed a book, Twilight, on the desk in front of her. "This is incredibly terrible. You will love it. I'll need it back, mind you. My daughter gave it to me."

She looked at him like he was crazy. A man like Chibs with a book like Twilight surprised the hell out of her, but she nodded and shot a smile at him as he walked out, whistling. At least now, she had something non-blonde to occupy her thoughts.


End file.
